Thankful for Community: James’ Story of Recovery

When people come to Bissell Centre for the first time, it is often to meet the most basic of needs: a hot meal away from the cold.

That’s how it began for James.

Twenty years ago, James ate his first meal at Bissell Centre when he had nowhere else to go. At the time James was homeless and engaging in a criminal lifestyle to get by.

He had been surrounded by substance abuse and violence since he was a child. As a young man his criminal record and addictions kept him on the streets.

“When you’re a user, nobody wants you around,” he said. “It was tough to get a place.” When he did ask for help, James was used to getting pushed away.

That first experience at Bissell Centre was different. James noticed how welcoming the staff and volunteers seemed, how eager they were to help.

“They were everywhere for me. If I need help, it’s there.”

 

To the people who knew him at the time of his first meal at Bissell Centre twenty years ago, James is unrecognizable today. In the past few years, he has undergone an incredible transformation. It has been a long journey to health and recovery, but a worthwhile one.

After hitting a low point in 2012, when he suddenly faced a seven-year prison sentence on drug charges and feared he was throwing his life away, James got serious about getting clean. He served four of the seven years, has been sober for five years, and has been accessing Bissell’s support programs including counselling, employment, and housing services.

After years of hard work and healing, James moved into an apartment: his first permanent home in two decades.

James spends a lot of his time helping others find sobriety and health like he did. You can usually find him outside Bissell Centre chatting with the patrons. “I [tell them] what I’ve been through with the drugs, what it cost me, my time and my life,” he explained. “I try to encourage them to come my way. If they need help, I tell them where to get help.”

Because of support from our community, we will be serving over 600 turkey meals for people in need this Thanksgiving. Many of them may be walking through our doors for the first time. And for some like James, it may mean the beginning of lasting life changes for the better. Holiday meals at Bissell Centre are never just food and drink. They are community, healing, and togetherness.

This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for our community of supporters, for the hope they inspire, and for the healing they make possible.

Give today to help more people like James this Thanksgiving!

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