The Voice of The Salvation Army

Love Never Fails

Helped by The Salvation Army when her life hit a low ebb, Carol Willems knows what it is like to be in despair at Christmastime

December 15, 2011 by Ken Ramstead 1 Comment


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“Could you please get your car and drive it to the church entrance?” the Salvation Army pastor asked Carol Willems a couple of days before the holidays. What an odd request! a panicked Carol thought. Are they going to fire me and ask me to haul away all of my things? The separated mother of two was already depressed as the Christmas season approached and had thrown herself into her work as … [Read more...]

Reading the Signs

My kids wanted me to help the homeless, but first I had to check my attitude

December 2, 2011 by Diane Stark Leave a Comment


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“Mommy, why is that man holding a sign?” my youngest daughter asked from the car’s back seat. Before I could answer, my son replied, “The sign says, ‘Will work for food.’ That means he’s hungry but he doesn’t have any money, so he wants to do some jobs for people to get some money.” “Can he do a job for us, Mommy?” “We don’t really need any jobs done, … [Read more...]

Helping to Heal

Chiropractor Norm Detillieux uses his skills to help the less fortunate in Nanaimo, B.C. 

November 16, 2011 by Ken Ramstead Leave a Comment


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“It’s always been my dream to help the less fortunate,” says Norm Detillieux, a chiropractor in Nanaimo, B.C. “Now, with The Salvation Army’s help, I am putting my dream into practice, helping people help themselves. It’s a wonderful feeling.” Something to Offer Norm was born just outside of Prince Albert, Sask. “I’m a farm boy,” he smiles, “and growing up on a farm … [Read more...]

Crippled by Crack Cocaine

Rory lost everything to drugs. The Salvation Army
helped restore his dignity. 

May 20, 2011 by Linda Leigh Leave a Comment


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He thought it was the only way out. “I believed disappearing would solve my problems,” says 43-year-old Rory. “I was foolish enough to think a new life would be waiting for me.” Rory was an alcoholic in denial when his marriage of 15 years disintegrated. After the mother of his two sons divorced him, he was lonely, depressed and regretful. A functional addict, he hid his problem with … [Read more...]

Scott Hamilton: A Star On and Off Ice

In a life filled with ups and downs, figure skater Scott Hamilton’s faith is as sharp as his blades.

April 29, 2011 by Jayne Thurber-Smith Leave a Comment


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No matter how melancholy the music, figure skaters wear a smile at the beginning and end of every program. One skater in particular has little use for melancholy, and his wide and infectious grin lights up the ice from start to finish: Scott Hamilton. In the years following his 1984 Olympic gold medal win in figure skating, however, Scott had many reasons to lose that smile. “Life has … [Read more...]

A New Normal

Abandoned by her husband, penniless and friendless, Agata Wroblewski turned
to The Salvation Army for help. 

April 29, 2011 by Linda Leigh 2 Comments


Agata Wroblewski feels blessed by The Salvation  Army’s assistance

When Agata Wroblewski married more than 20 years ago, she expected to stay with her husband for life. But things turned out differently. In March 2009, Agata arrived at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport with only a suitcase full of court documents, a change of clothes and $81. “My entire world had collapsed,” she says. A World in Ruin Originally from Poland, Agata, her … [Read more...]

The Trial

All of us, like Pontius Pilate, have two choices this Easter: We can either accept or reject Jesus Christ. 

April 20, 2011 by Max Lucado Leave a Comment


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The judge is short and patrician, with darting eyes and expensive clothes, greying hair trimmed and face beardless. He is apprehensive, nervous about being thrust into a decision he can’t avoid. Two soldiers lead him down the stone stairs of the fortress into the broad courtyard. Shafts of morning sunlight stretch across the stone floor. As he enters, Syrian soldiers dressed in short togas … [Read more...]

The Holy Rollers

Filling a need turned into a new life for this eight-person painting crew from a Salvation Army church in New Westminster, B.C. 

February 18, 2011 by Alfie Lau 1 Comment


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As Doug Fynn, Wayne Tugwood and Captain David MacPherson sit in the downstairs activities room at the Salvation Army church in New Westminster, B.C., they can’t help but laugh at how beautiful the room looks. “It took our painters forever to get this room right,” says Wayne. “It must have about eight coats of paint in some spots, but we had to show them how to do the job … [Read more...]

Every Breath You Take

I’d been told that the Bible was a work of fiction and that there was no God. But something was missing in my life, and I had to find it.

February 4, 2011 by Kathryn Mills 1 Comment


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I couldn’t breathe! As an addict who suffered from bipolar disorder, I was used to taking short and shallow breaths. To breathe as others do was physically painful for me. I seldom left my apartment, except for alcohol or drug runs, and I had an aversion to being around people. Sunglasses and a hat protected me from anyone approaching or talking to me. I’d given up my son, my marriage, my … [Read more...]

Culinary Comfort

For these dedicated Salvation Army volunteers, the way to a person’s heart is through his stomach

February 4, 2011 Leave a Comment


Chef Vipushan Karunanithi serves fresh spinach salad with strawberries at The Salvation Army’s Community and Rehabilitation Centre in downtown Windsor, Ont.

Adding Flair to Sally Ann Fare Dressed in a fashionable chef’s black hat, jacket and slacks, Vipushan Karunanithi prepares five-to-10-course dinners for $75 and up per person in chic neighbourhood haunts in Windsor, Ont. The 41-year-old, whose father was also a chef, loves simple dishes with essential flavours that stand out—jalapeno peppers, cumin and cilantro are part of the … [Read more...]