I started drinking at the age of 10. At 12, I started to experiment with drugs, which escalated into using hard drugs. I was hooked. That lifestyle lasted 32 years which included 8 years on the street and life was rough for me. At 44 years of age, I was tired of that life and something had to change. After my third stay at Life Recovery, a Christian treatment centre, which lasted 7 months, I found out about The Salvation Army Gateway of Hope and their Culinary Arts Program. I applied and was accepted into their Culinary Arts and Opportunities Program. The Opportunities Program has provided me with a supportive environment where I can work on myself and my goals.
I have been clean and sober for over a year now and am very thankful to the Gateway of Hope; because of them I have a place to live, go to school and a great step towards a normal life and I’m loving it!
It is easy to make a real difference in a life.
Gateway of Hope’s programs and services play an integral role in changing lives and giving hope.