Faces of Hope
Support people experiencing homelessness!
Six deeply personal journeys. Real Stories. Real People. Real Hope. They stand together for people experiencing homelessness. Join them, learn more and help today.
“When you have children, you want them to be safe, secure and loved.”
Addiction and mental health issues took my beloved son’s safety.
He discovered drugs in high school. Magic mushrooms and marijuana at first. They transported his mind to a different place, leaving the rest of him behind.
He was lost.
Hospitalized for schizophrenia before he was an adult, the substances and his thoughts were insatiably devouring his mind.
He wasn’t safe.
This spiral continued until he was homeless. Existing on the streets. Although he knew I was always there for him, he was being pulled in the opposite direction.
I have found him beaten up, teeth knocked out and bruised. I’ve even had him resting his head on me, waiting for overdoses to subside.
At least in those terrible moments he was safe in his mother’s arms.
His new life began when Shepherds of Good Hope found a place for him in supportive housing.
I didn’t truly know what it meant. Today, I do.
He is off the streets. He is warm, rested and fed. He is getting around-the-clock care. He now has people who care for him, and care about me.
He is safe.
I have peace of mind and can sleep again. His neighbours share similar stories and have at least one thing in common; they are safe too.
Thank you, Shepherds of Good Hope.
During the pandemic I suffered from loneliness.
That’s when I began volunteering at Shepherds of Good Hope serving dinners at their community kitchen on Saturday nights.
It restored my spirits and my health.
Four years later, I am still serving dinner on Saturday night at Shepherds. One of the things I like doing is bringing newspapers from around the globe to Shepherds community drop in.
Watching the clients, enjoying reading the news gives me moments of great joy. These moments give them a sense of inclusion and dignity as they get caught up with local and world news.
The community kitchen guests are diverse, so are their needs. Substance use and mental health challenges, toxic drugs, and a feeling of living on the margins of society affects them in many ways.
Shepherds is there for them, no matter what challenges they may be facing. It doesn’t matter, Shepherds cares.
Volunteering at Shepherds of Good Hope gives me great joy. It makes me happy.
Connecting with people experiencing homelessness has enriched my life, and I hope, in some way, I’ve enriched theirs.
On March 15, 2023, my world shattered.
I was alone when I got the news my identical twin sister, Jordan Leigh, lost her life to the unforgiving struggles of mental health and addiction.
We were just 29 years old.
Jordan is my soul’s mirror, my biggest fan, the source of light in my darkest days. Jordan defines resilience and determination.
She was just 12 years old when she got her first job. She became a flight attendant at 17, chasing her dreams across British Columbia.
Yet beneath her strength, she bore scars from our childhood trauma, often turning to substances to cope.
Jordan’s journey led her to seek shelter and support from Shepherds of Good Hope.
This was during some of her hardest times.
The kindness and care she received left an indelible mark on her life—and mine.
To honour her soul, the Jordan Leigh Foundation was born a year after Jordan passed away. Partnering with Shepherds of Good Hope felt natural, a way to honor her legacy and the organization that helped her when she needed it most.
Although our birthday will never be the same without Jordan, I have found purpose through the pain.
Raising awareness and breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction is my new life purpose.
Jordan fuels this purpose, reminding us that seeking support and sharing your story is a courageous step toward healing.
No one is ever truly alone.
I was born into a family that had a cycle of unchecked mental illness and addiction, and due to that I ended up in foster care.
As a foster child, I experienced all forms of abuse, and into my adolescence I became very rebellious and defiant.
I was kicked out of my foster home at 16 and ended up at a homeless shelter.
From there, I found drugs to self-medicate my pain, and found people who would propagate that for me.
Thankfully, the shelters I had been to had workers who cared and saw potential in me that I didn’t.
Through various programs, speaking with counsellors, and discovering skills that I never thought I had, it gave me the confidence I needed to get myself together, and keep pushing myself to do better.
This is when I knew that I wanted to be an example of transformation and redemption.
At age 31, I went to college, got a diploma for Addictions and Community Service Worker, found Shepherds of Good Hope, and am approaching 7 years of employment with them.
Today, at 38, I’m a father of two beautiful girls, and will be getting married in the summer of 2025.
I was homeless on and off for around 10 years of my life. A traveling singer-songwriter with nowhere planned to stay in the United States and Canada.
I’ve battled addictions to various drugs in my 20’s.
I’ve slept on park benches, cardboard on the sidewalk, in the woods and subway chairs on the trains of New York City.
It hasn’t always been easy.
I would find housing and then lose it quickly, either due to a slumlord situation or domestic abuse.
I’d busk on the side of the road with my guitar and sing for people as they’d walk by just to make enough to eat that day.
People treat you like you are nothing.
I always knew I wanted to give back to people experiencing homelessness once I got off the streets.
I’ve since found stable housing, been on an award-winning album with Willie Nelson in 2012, written 6 self-published books and started an online metaphysical business that donates a portion of sales to the homeless near Christmas.
I don’t feel the need to turn to hard drugs to deal with my pain anymore.
I now work in Transitional Shelter Services at Shepherds of Good Hope as a permanent full-time Frontline Worker.
No matter how hopeless your situation may seem, there is always hope for you to change your life.
Don’t give up.
It gets better.
My mom is an alcoholic. She always has been.
Because of her drinking she was evicted from her apartment. When that happened, my family agreed she could live with us.
That didn’t last long.
After a few months, our family had concerns. I had to ask her to leave.
What came next was one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make.
We dropped my mom off at a downtown homeless shelter. It was the only solution we could think of. She was affecting my family and my six-year-old.
I started looking for a better place for her to live. My search included Shepherds of Good Hope.
I’ll always remember the day I got the call. They found a place for my mom in their supportive housing program.
That’s when our lives started getting better. My mom’s safe now. She’s secure.
They work with her every day. They love her there.
She is eating properly. She has support. It’s a relief.
My life changed the day I got the call from Shepherds.
The nurse there said something I’ll always remember: You can stop being a caregiver now, you can go back to being a daughter.