For 43 years, Craig Smith struggled with drug addiction. He started using in his early teens and suffered multiple overdoses. Now, he shares how The Salvation Army reignited his life.

Necessary Tools

In 2020, Craig was found by the side of a country road after experiencing an overdose. He was administered CPR and taken to the hospital. When he realized what had happened, he decided it was time to get sober. Craig underwent rehabilitation and then joined The Salvation Army’s Keystone program at Edmonton’s Centre of Hope.

He believes his 18-month stay at Keystone was the best thing he could have done.

“It saved my life, to tell you the truth,” he says. “You learn a lot of things about relapse prevention, so it really worked out well for me.”

Keystone offers safe, sober housing for recovery and wellness. Residents must have been part of an addiction recovery program within the previous six months before joining the program. 

“We do weekly counselling and daily psycho-educational classes,” says Christina Clapham, manager of the Keystone program. “We also have a chaplaincy team involved. Residents get all the tools that they need to live in sobriety long term.”

Helping Friends

Aside from the support work, residents also get a chance to learn life skills and participate in social activities. Each guest has their own apartment.

To ensure residents are on the right path, there is drug testing at Keystone. However, a relapse does not mean a resident has to leave.

“We realize that relapse is a part of the recovery journey,” Christina notes. “It is not an automatic discharge, but it is an automatic conversation. As long as the person is active in their recovery, we are willing to work with them.” 

During his stay, Craig, with the help of his counsellor, began to accept and talk about past trauma. He believes learning to deal with his past was the breakthrough that helped him stay strong and sober throughout his time at Keystone.

Another plus has been the friends he made during his stay.

“I have five close friends from Keystone,” Craig says. “These guys are all still sober. We have an alumni group, and we go back to Keystone to help people that are struggling.”

High Recommendation

After Craig completed the Keystone program, The Salvation Army helped him find housing. Soon after, he heard from his former counsellor about an opportunity to join the organization that reignited his life.

He is currently an overnight client support worker at the Army’s transitional housing program in Edmonton. In the future, he hopes to take on a peer-support role.

“I want to help younger people because all they need is someone to listen to them and treat them like a human being,” Craig says.

Now that he’s been sober for four years, people who knew Craig before his recovery are amazed at how well he looks today.

“They can’t believe the difference; it’s like night and day,” he says. “I don’t look the same anymore. I’ve gained 60 pounds.” 

Craig encourages anyone seeking addiction recovery to go to The Salvation Army.

“It is a place that is safe and clean, with lots of counselling and help. It’s a beautiful place.”