Transitional Housing Resident Embraces a Second Chance
Before arriving at The Salvation Army in Edmonton’s transitional housing program, Julie believed she had reached the lowest point of her life. After years spent dealing with homelessness, addiction and several health issues, she felt hopeless.
“I was homeless for quite a few years, but my addiction really escalated over the last few,” Julie shares.
Her medical condition eventually reached a critical point where she landed in the hospital for almost three months.
“I was very ill. I had a surgery and had to be tube fed,” Julie says. “My health then began to improve; they gave me an option to recover without pain medication. I took that opportunity, recovered and then came to The Salvation Army to get better.”
This wasn’t Julie’s first time accessing the Army’s transitional housing program. She had a brief stay during a previous attempt at recovery.
“The first time I was here, I was not in the right headspace. I knew this second opportunity was my only chance to get better. At transitional housing, I had my own space, safety and a lot of support.”
A Safe Place to Heal
One of the main reasons Julie chose to come back to The Salvation Army was due to the living environment.
“It’s a safe place and it is clean. They have lots of programs and staff to help get your life back on track. They don’t push any programs on you; they just let you know that they are available. They can steer you in the way you need to go, or they can help you directly,” Julie adds.
After finally finding some stability, Julie shifted her focus to self-care to help ensure strength in her recovery journey.
“I started going to the gym and working with my doctors to get everything in order. The staff helped me get my ID and my taxes done. All these were things I had neglected over time. We had meals there, so I built a more structured day-to-day schedule. I had to do a lot of healing when I first arrived, but over time I got more stable,” Julie says.
As someone who is independent by nature, it was not easy at first for Julie to reach out for support. However, over time, she began to feel more comfortable with the staff at The Salvation Army.
“I became aware of the support available here and learned to reach out. I’ve had trouble doing that in the past. Not being afraid to be judged and just asking for help when you need it, that has been big for me.”
Among the support she received was a referral to a housing worker, which eventually led her to find a permanent home.
Beginning a New Life
After spending a year and a half in transitional housing, Julie is moving into her own apartment—a spot close to her son.
Looking back, Julie is proud of how far she has come and is grateful for the support she received at The Salvation Army.
“This place really turned my life around. The staff are great, open-minded, non-judgemental and caring,” she adds.
As she begins her new life, Julie is looking forward to working part-time and reconnecting with her family.
By Juan Romero
