Jon Armstrong’s life looked a lot different three years ago. From Abbotsford, B.C., Jon has a steady job, a home, a vehicle and a loving family—all of which seemed unthinkable when he was a homeless drug addict.

But through the power of family and plenty of helping hands at the local Salvation Army, he has been able to completely transform his life.

“We spent five years in Abbotsford on the streets, living in a tent, because back then I was unfit for shelters.” JON ARMSTRONG

Help at the Army

After going through a tumultuous childhood, Jon found himself turning to drugs, spending most of his adult life pretending he didn’t have a problem.

“I hit rock bottom and ended up on the street in Port Coquitlam, B.C., where I met my girlfriend,” Jon says. “We spent five years in Abbotsford on the streets, living in a tent, because back then I was unfit for shelters.”

Things were already difficult for the couple, but then a whole new challenge arose when they found out that they were expecting.

“That was honestly the scariest nine months of my entire life,” Jon says. “I’ve been through a lot, but nothing as scary as being homeless, drug-addicted and expecting a new face in this world.”

After much soul-searching, the couple concluded that they wanted to keep the child. They immediately began looking for local programs that might be able to help them.

Unfortunately, finding a suitable service was harder than they expected.

“There’s nothing we could find that kept us together as a family, and we were determined to keep this child and do right by it.”

They ended up getting the type of help that they needed through The Salvation Army in Abbotsford, which they were already visiting regularly for lunches and other free services.

A Loving Commitment

Jon specifically credits Barbara, Cindy and program manager Al Breitkreuz for going out of their way to support him and his partner.

“They stepped up in a way that I could never see coming,” he says. “They literally hiked through the bush out to where we lived, brought us lunches, got my wife to her appointments and so on, and found a recovery that we could actually go into. My partner went in ahead of me at eight months pregnant and got clean, so she was able to have the baby and not have him addicted to drugs.”

By the time she went into labour, both of them had been sober for quite some time, thanks to the dedicated work of the Salvation Army staff, sparing their newborn son a future of drug-relatedcomplications.

“All of the babies around us were addicted to fentanyl and born into agony,” Jon explains.

With his newborn son, Slayder, cradled in his arms, Jon felt more hope than ever before. That love for his growing family fuelled his commitment to remain sober.

Showing It’s Possible

Jon’s been drug-free now for more than three years and has made massive leaps in the quality of life for both himself and his family.

“Today, I have a home, I have security, and my son is well-fed and super smart.”

Another change is that Jon’s been regularly employed at The Salvation Army for more than a year now, finding a way to get a job while also helping countless other people who are still trapped in the cycle of drug use and homelessness.

“I’m here where it all began,” Jon says, explaining that he works alongside the very people who helped pull him and his wife out from rock bottom all those years ago.

As an employee at The Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope in Abbotsford, Jon uses his story and experiences to better assist those who come to the centre for help overcoming their issues.

“If I can show even one person that it’s possible, that’s all I need.”

Hero for Hope

In the short time Jon’s worked at The Salvation Army, he’s already witnessed so much good being done for the less fortunate members of the community, and he’s excited to continue helping as many people as he can.

“I had one client come up to me on the street and thank me for everything we’ve done for him here,” Jon says. “He was one of those people who came in at rock bottom, in tears, lost, with no idea of what to do. After staying here for a while, he ended up getting a job, started working, got himself housed, and he’s doing really good and he is still sober.”

Even now, Jon’s life only continues to get better and, this past Father’s Day, he marked an important milestone.

“I got my licence back and a car, so for the first time ever, we took a trip to Fort Langley, B.C., and spent the day there.”

Jon was also recently celebrated at The Salvation Army’s third annual Hope in the Valley luncheon fundraiser in Abbotsford, where he was given the Hero for Hope award.

“There’s Always Something”

One piece of advice Jon’s always eager to share with those struggling with addiction is to dig deep and find something that will motivate them to get healthy and stay healthy.

“For me, it was my son, but everybody’s got to have something,” he says. “You just have to find what’s worth fighting for, whether it’s your life, your family—whatever it is, there’s always something.”

Reprinted from The Abbotsford News, June 17, 2025

Photos: Brandon Tucker/The Abbotsford News