Ana Tomas is a seasoned consumer packaged goods leader with more than 10 years of progressive experience leading Canada’s most-beloved brands. She has been a member of The Salvation Army’s Marketing Advisory Board since 2015, and recently joined the National Advisory Board. Here, she shares why she volunteers her time and why The Salvation Army has a special place in her heart.

I was born in Bosnia in 1988, during what my parents like to call the glory years, when the three main ethnic groups—Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs—lived in harmony with one another. Just four years later, on April 6, 1992, the region’s civil war erupted, and a day came when neighbours told us, You need to get out, now. You can’t be here tomorrow morning. So, my parents—my mom was five months pregnant at the time—packed a few bags, left everything else behind, and our lives changed overnight forever.

We fled to my dad’s hometown in Montenegro, another part of the former Yugoslavia, which at the time was considered safe. My sister was born on August 2, 1992, a blessing to the family during such turbulent times. But with the sanctions in place at the time, the economy was crumbling. They started the application process, and we were fortunate enough to be granted refugee status.

I remember getting on the plane and landing in Canada so vividly. We arrived on July 8, 1994, and were taken to the Christie Refugee Welcome Centre in downtown Toronto. We had two bags and my parents didn’t speak any English. We were so grateful for the opportunity we’d been given, but I also remember tears of sadness and disbelief as they realized how hard it was going to be.

Our first Christmas in Canada was thanks to The Salvation Army. As Eastern Orthodox Christians, we celebrate on January 7, rather than December 25. But that morning, someone from The Salvation Army knocked on our door and brought my sister and me Christmas gifts. The joy in my parents’ eyes, to have that type of love and support and care for our family, from complete strangers, is something I will never forget. It is one of my fondest childhood memories.

Once we left the refugee shelter, we moved to the Pape and Cosburn area of Toronto. For many years, it was organizations such as The Salvation Army that helped us get on our feet, with food, clothing, furniture and learning English. My parents were thankful for the support, but like many refugees, they wanted to re-establish themselves in this new environment, to have a level of independence and autonomy. They started working whatever jobs they could find to be able to pay the bills and put food on the table. I feel honoured to have been brought up in a household with parents who persevered through many obstacles and created a better life for their family.

We were the only ones in our family granted refugee status. Aunts, uncles, grandparents— everyone else was left behind in a highly turbulent environment. As I was growing up, I remember coming home from school and often hearing on the news that something was happening in my aunt’s or grandma’s hometown. We were so thankful that we were here and safe, but there was a constant sense of fear, of not knowing what was happening to others. It’s something that defined my childhood and shaped me into the person I am today.

It has been 30 years since we left our original home and began to build a new life in Canada. I know we are the fortunate ones, the ones who were able to get out. But it hasn’t been easy. For those who come as refugees, it’s a long road to acceptance. It’s a long road to creating a home for yourself.

One of the hardest things to acknowledge is that you will not have the depth of support from your family, friends and culture that you were accustomed to and likely took for granted. And you’re always going to long for your family left behind. We are the fortunate ones, but it comes with so much sacrifice throughout the years. Unless you go  through it personally, it’s hard to understand how challenging and difficult that can be. Hearing about everything that’s going on right now in Ukraine, and in many other parts of the world, is especially disheartening, having lived through similar circumstances.

For me, the work of The Salvation Army, in its ability to be there for each individual in a way that matters most to them, in moments that are toughest, is bar none to any other organization of its kind. The Army is there to lend a helping hand and catch you when you’re down, when that human connection is really the only thing you have.

The stories and individual connections are so deep. I hope by sharing my story it gives a little bit of context for the impact the Army has had on my life and the life of my family for more than 30 years now. And that’s why, for me, giving back to the Army has always been so important.