Real Stories
Vital Services bring Hope
For decades, John described himself as “just an addict.” He was caught in a vicious cycle revolving around drug addiction and money. His struggle had begun in his teens as an escape from an abusive father, which led to addiction and despair.
When The Salvation Army first met John, the years of addiction had taken their toll. He had lost everything that was dear to him: his wife, his kids, his home. His life was at rock bottom.
Hope enters in
John was exhausted and yearning for change. Meeting Liz at the Sallies gave him hope for the first time. “She said, ‘You have come to the right place. We can help you.’ I nearly cried on her lap that day,” recalled John. Determined, John cycled 40 kilometres daily to attend a Salvation Army addiction programme.
The memory of his three-year-old telling him, “It’ll be okay, Dad,” became a powerful motivator for change. His wife, also on her own recovery journey, urged him on. Their children were in temporary care, but John was resolute in his goal of reuniting his family.
A Listening Ear
Thanks to the listening ear of his social worker, Dee, who stayed by his side throughout his recovery journey, John was able to face his demons head-on. For him, relapse was never an option.
“It was tough. There were various battles and things that John had to come to terms with, but he always put his family first,” said Dee.
Wraparound Services
Alongside the addiction programme and social work support, John also received other wraparound services, including budgeting advice and food support. These helped to ease the pressure on his dire financial situation enabling him and his family to focus on rebuilding their lives together at a critical time.
Once his life was on an even keel, John began volunteering at a Family Store to give back and to help other Kiwis in need.
Right now, there are many more Kiwis out there who are in desperate need. Your donation to the Red Shield appeal will help to provide wraparound services for Kiwis when they need it most.
You can help others like John by giving to this year’s Red Shield Appeal…
Emerging from darkness into light
Rāwinea was a drug addict for decades before she went through The Salvation Army’s Bridge programme and got clean. And it was the army’s wraparound services, funded by donors like you, that helped her shape her new life.
I was fourteen when I started using drugs. My mum was an alcoholic and didn’t know how to parent. I suffered a lot of traumas and got kicked out of home. I fell in with people who were using drugs. I was offered heroin. From that first hit, there was no going back. I was well and truly hooked.
Drugs felt like a warm hug. They seemed to give me everything I was missing. A sense of wellbeing, of belonging, of validation. It seemed if I was high, everything was okay. I could cope.
I felt like people who weren’t on drugs were aliens. We were on completely different wavelengths, so I didn’t seek out work. I was making money from dealing and it made me feel good, like I had a purpose.
I didn’t see any negatives until I had children. I knew I was being a bad parent, and I wanted to do better, but I couldn’t stop using. I asked their father to look after the kids and I carried on with a life that revolved around drugs.
Eventually, I married and started a new family. My husband’s mother helped us buy a house in a new area, but I quickly became caught up in the local drug scene again.
So, things got messy again and our home life was far from rosy.
But one day, I’d had enough. I woke up and I felt tired. Tired of the façade, tired of not being there for my kids, tired of the struggle. So, when my AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) counsellor offered to refer me to The Salvation Army’s addiction services, I jumped at it.
A leap of faith
The Bridge programme was tough, but I had the courage and the motivation. I wanted a different life for me and my family. Dealing with the feelings that came to the fore was hard. The world was frightening and loud. But it was the first time in 24 years that I’d been clean, day after day after day, and it was like I could see colour for the first time.
After the programme, I was determined to start a new life with my family, but my husband didn’t want to change with me. I lapsed a few times and finally, I realised I needed to leave.
By that time my eldest had left home. My second eldest went to live with his brother and my daughter stayed with her father.
I was still up and down with my recovery, but each lapse taught me something. Who I could see or not see. What boundaries I needed to put in place. What I could and couldn’t control and what to surrender to.
I self-referred to repeat Bridge and this time it included a group PLP (Positive Lifestyle Programme). I could see so much potential for self-growth in that course.
Back home after the programme, The Salvation Army supported me with food which was such a relief as I was barely managing on a benefit. Then I found out I could do PLP one-to-one and that’s where I found myself, my true self. I learned to use positive affirmations. I learned how to process my feelings and how to communicate effectively.
Recently I did another course around finances and that helped me gain control over my money. Now I have savings and more control over my life.
I can’t thank the people who donate to The Salvation Army enough, truly, from the bottom of my heart. The Bridge programme gives you your life back but it’s those wraparound services like food, PLP and financial mentoring that help you hold on to the new positivity and start to shape your life.