Pastoral Care and Medical Assistance in Dying
Invisible Chains: The Fight Against Human Trafficking
Why Are Single Women Leaving the Church?
THE VOICE OF THE ARMY
September 2020
Salvationist.ca
Northern Exposure From recovery to reclaiming his Indigenous identity, Cameron Eggie is growing in leadership in Fort St. John
September 2020 • Volume 15, Number 9
11 DEPARTMENTS 6 Frontlines
CONNECT ONLINE
14 Ethically Speaking
Visit Salvationist.ca to add your comments and read web-exclusive articles
Final Words by Aimee Patterson
17 Not Called?
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My Calling by Natalie Williams
18 Perspectives The Social Network by Lt-Colonel John P. Murray
24 Corps Values Keeping Christ at the Centre Interview with Majors Frank and Rita Pittman
27 Cross Culture 28 People & Places COLUMNS 4 Editorial The Uprooted Flower by Geoff Moulton
5 Onward Inspired for Mission by Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd
25 Grace Notes All the Single Ladies by Captain Laura Van Schaick
26 Viewpoint What’s in a Name? by Darryn Oldford
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FEATURES 8 Northern Exposure From recovery to reclaiming his Indigenous identity, Cameron Eggie is growing in Salvation Army leadership. by Giselle Randall
11 Invisible Chains Fighting human trafficking from coast to coast. by Leigha Vegh
13 Human Trafficking in Canada: More Than a Statistic by Major Rachele Lamont
19 Bucket List The Salvation Army and Incredible Edible Okanagan tackle food insecurity one garden at a time. by Melissa Yue Wallace
20 Home Sweet Hope London Centre of Hope is more than just a transitional home. by Leigha Vegh
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READ AND SHARE IT! Home-Schooling
IS IT FOR YOU? P.12
Making a Difference
ZAMBIA P.5
Family Supports Army
NICKELS AND DIMES P.26
Faith&Friends I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G
faithandfriends.ca
SEPTEMBER 2020
22 Brighter Futures for Brazil The Salvation Army is meeting the practical needs of children in São Paulo. by Robyn Goodyear
23 Mobilize 2.0—Inspired for Mission, Positioned for Growth
VICTOR IOUS
Victoria
WITH THE HELP OF THE SALVATION ARMY, HUMANTRAFFICKING SURVIVOR IS PUTTING HER LIFE BACK TOGETHER. P.16
Transformation project to launch new territorial vision and strategic plan. By Geoff Moulton Salvationist September 2020 3
EDITORIAL
The Uprooted Flower
A
s soon as Mr. Wilson, our Grade 6 teacher, came into the classroom I knew something was wrong. Wearing a pained expression on his face, he sat silently atop an empty desk until the chatter subsided. One of our number, “Carrie,” had been missing for a few days. Mr. Wilson told us that she wouldn’t be coming back. With a soft voice and tears in his eyes, he explained that Carrie had been mistreated by the people who were supposed to protect her. He didn’t get into details, but looking back I realize that, at just 11 years old, Carrie had fallen victim to human trafficking. I had heard the rumours, but it was more than my young mind could process. Mr. Wilson held a framed picture in his hands that day. It was a drawing of a flower with the roots exposed. Carrie had drawn it for Mr. Wilson to symbolize the pain and dislocation that she felt. It said more than words could have expressed. For the remainder of the year, it hung at the front of the classroom to remind us of Carrie. The good news was that she had been rescued from a desperate situation and was now safe. But the fact that such evil could be perpetrated upon a child was heartbreaking and tragic. That all this happened in a middle-class suburban neighbourhood in small-town Ontario was also a shock—but it shouldn’t have
Salvationist
is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory Brian Peddle General Commissioner Floyd Tidd Territorial Commander Lt-Colonel John P. Murray Secretary for Communications Geoff Moulton Editor-in-Chief and Literary Secretary Giselle Randall Features Editor (416-467-3185) Pamela Richardson News Editor, Copy Editor and Production Co-ordinator (416-422-6112) Leigha Vegh Associate Editor and Staff Writer 4 September 2020 Salvationist
been. We know now that human trafficking happens not just around the world, but also uncomfortably close to home. In this issue of Salvationist, Major Rachele Lamont, territorial co-ordinator for anti-human trafficking, helps us understand the devastating scourge of modern-day slavery (page 11). Major Lamont spent the last four years doing similar work in the red-light district of Athens, Greece, with vulnerable migrant communities. In this territory and around the world, The Salvation Army is rescuing trafficked people and helping them rebuild their lives. In this month’s issue of Faith & Friends, for example, we profile the resilience of Victoria Morrison, a trafficking survivor who shared her story at last year’s Hope in the City breakfast with The Salvation Army in Winnipeg. As the author notes, Morrison is “as strong and confident as they come—living proof that you can take your life back despite your circumstances.” Elsewhere in this issue, ethicist Aimee Patterson considers the challenge of Medical Assistance in Dying (page 14). While the Army’s position on sanctity of life is clear, it is more difficult to know if or when to offer pastoral care to those who choose an assisted death. We also catch our first glimpse of the new territorial transformation strat-
Brandon Laird Senior Graphic Designer Hannah Saley Digital Media Specialist Ada Leung Circulation Co-ordinator Ken Ramstead Contributor Agreement No. 40064794, ISSN 1718-5769. Member, The Canadian Christian Communicators Association. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) © 2011. All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory and can be reprinted only with written permission.
egy, Mobilize 2.0—Inspired for Mission, Positioned for Growth, which will be unpacked in greater detail in the months ahead (page 5 and 23). When I think back to that Grade 6 classroom nearly four decades ago, I remember something else. Mr. Wilson showed us how the uprooted flower in Carrie’s drawing was not dead. Despite the trauma it had suffered, it was still blooming and full of colour. It was a sign of hope. Under the right conditions, it could grow again. GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Mission
The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world. Salvationist informs readers about the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. salvationist.ca facebook.com/salvationistmagazine twitter.com/salvationist youtube.com/salvationistmagazine instagram.com/salvationistmagazine
ONWARD
Inspired for Mission A fresh wind of God is blowing. BY COMMISSIONERS FLOYD AND TRACEY TIDD
I
t was General Albert Orsborn, sixth international leader of The Salvation Army, who wrote about the key attitude he believed we must adopt as we seek to live out our mission: “We have an obligation to inspire.” General Orsborn was right—we must inspire others in our witness. But first, we must be inspired by God, by his Spirit. Inspired to catch a fresh vision so we can lead with intent and enthusiasm, pivot to the needs of our community and awaken the core of who we are as Christ followers. The last few months have been like no other in more than a century. The COVID19 pandemic has disrupted everything and everyone on our planet. We’ve all had to adapt, including The Salvation Army. Over these months, we’ve seen the Army respond brilliantly to this new reality and continue to give hope to the communities in which we lead and serve. If we can shift so effectively and fluidly
due to a public health crisis, can we use this moment to reimagine and transform the operations of our territory? We have seen, again, that we can be an unstoppable force, an inspirational influence on Canadians and Bermudians. In the Book of Ezekiel, we learn that transformation begins with the heart and promotes a revived spirit (see Ezekiel 36:26-27). Transformation can overcome whatever obstacle is put in its way and provide a road map to achieve an ultimate goal (see Ezekiel 37:110). Even in the driest valley, new beginnings can emerge. In the midst of a global pandemic and economic crisis, we can already see traces of a fresh wind of God blowing across our movement. These biblical promises in Ezekiel confirm that transformation of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda will require a heart open
M E S S E N G E R S O F R E C O N C I L I AT I O N
to a fresh wind of God, and a vision inspired by God for his Army and the communities we lead and serve. This fall, our territory will embark on a new project to build capacity in our movement to take it to a new level. As territorial leaders, we are pleased to announce the launch of Mobilize 2.0—Inspired for Mission, Positioned for Growth (see page 23). Mobilize 2.0 is a transformation program that leads into the development and implementation of a four-year strategic plan for the territory. As Salvationists, we have an obligation to inspire. With hearts open to a fresh wind of God’s Spirit, let us be inspired for mission.
Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd
W E LCO M E S E RV I C E SEPTEMBER 20, 2020 4 pm CDT Livestream on Salvationist.ca
Salvationist September 2020 5
FRONTLINES
World Missions Thanks Donors
T
he Canada and Bermuda Territory has supported nine international COVID-19 relief projects in Costa Rica, Haiti, Malawi, Liberia, Mozambique and Nigeria, with more initiatives to come. Resources were mobilized to provide practical assistance, from food parcels, hygiene kits and medical equipment to educational initiatives, such as health promotion, to help vulnerable communities through the crisis. “When the government declared a lockdown on all businesses and services, countless people lost their jobs, food insecurity became even more prevalent, and it became even more difficult to live,” says Major Dyson Chifudzeni, project officer in Mozambique. “We travelled across the country, targeting the most vulnerable communities,” he says. “We provided nearly 3,000 families with sanitation kits, handwashing facilities, COVID-19-prevention promotional materials and food. “To everyone who gave a single penny to these projects, I want to thank you,” continues Major Chifudzeni. “You have restored hope to so many here in Mozambique.” To support international disaster relief, visit saworldmissions.ca.
Mjr Dyson Chifudzeni distributes sanitation kits and COVID-19 educational material
Rogers Family Makes Historic Donation
I
n June, the Rogers family donated $10 million to The Salvation Army to assist in COVID-19 relief efforts, the single-largest donation received in more than 135 years of operation. “The donation allows us to continue to deliver vital, life-changing services to those who have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Commissioner Floyd Tidd, territorial commander. “Our family is honoured to be able to do a small part to help Canadians and Canadian families as they try to recover from the difficult financial challenges that COVID-19 has brought to so many people, especially people already under financial stress,” says Martha Rogers, chair of The Rogers Foundation. The donation will have a three-fold effect, improving food security, enhancing the provision of shelter and social services, and funding additional emergency disaster service vehicles that deliver food to vulnerable children and families. For Salvation Army food banks, this means increased food procurement, including fresh food items, purchasing commercial grade freezers and coolers to allow for safe food management, and the ability to expand counselling and practical support. “The Salvation Army is truly grateful to the Rogers family, whose kindness will aid our efforts on many fronts,” says Lt-Colonel John P. Murray, territorial secretary for communications.
6 September 2020 Salvationist
Salvation Army Weighs In on a Cashless Society
T
he Canada and Bermuda Territory made a presentation to the Government of Canada about the implication of a cashless or cash-lite society, in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic where the use of cash has been strongly discouraged. In a July 2020 report from The Salvation Army to three government ministers, including the Honourable Bill Morneau, minister of finance, a list of some of those who would be impacted by such a trend included thrift-store shoppers, newcomers to Canada, those experiencing homelessness or collecting social assistance, and those with disabilities. “While we acknowledge the convenience and appeal of cashless and even contactless payments for a significant portion of the population, we are concerned about the impact of further, long-term shifts toward a cashless or more cash-lite society for vulnerable low income and marginalized Canadians who may be underbanked or unbanked,” writes Dani Shaw, acting director of public affairs and senior legal counsel. The report was not complete without a mention of the iconic Christmas kettles which bring in approximately $23 million each year, much of it in coins and bills. The Salvation Army continues to help 1.9 million people each year with the generous help of the public. To read the full report, visit salvationist.ca/public-affairs/news/acashless-or-cash-lite-society/.
FRONTLINES
Territory Invests in Millennials With New Appointments
M
Staff members at The Salvation Army’s Ridge Meadows Ministries help sort donations for Sonia’s Cradle
Tribute Program Helps Families in British Columbia
S
onia’s Cradle is a program at The Salvation Army’s Ridge Meadows Ministries in Maple Ridge, B.C., that honours Sonia Nickle, a front-line worker who recognized a need for help within growing families in the community. In 2009, she began collecting donated items for young children, such as clothing, diapers and formula, to give to families in need. Soon after, other community agencies joined in the effort to grow their resources and reach more people every year. When Nickle passed away, the program accelerated. The program is a tribute to her kindness and generosity, honouring her legacy of helping families in need. “Sonia would be proud to see what her vision 11 years ago has grown into—every month, 30-35 families receive assistance from Sonia’s Cradle,” says Mark Stewart, executive director at Ridge Meadows Ministries. “And this number has more than doubled in size with the effects of COVID-19.”
ajors Rick and Deana Zelinsky take up newly created appointments this month to help the territory understand the importance of reaching millennials and the development of laity. As the new millennial project officer, Major Rick Zelinsky will be a part of the corps ministries department at territorial headquarters (THQ). “I want to listen to the voices of young adults across the territory as we plot a strategy to address their hopes for The Salvation Army,” he says. Major Rick’s goal is to encourage the participation of millennials in congregational activities and to help them find their place in the body of Christ. “I’m humbled to be appointed to this position and welcome people into the conversation going forward,” he says. Major Deana Zelinksky will join personnel services at THQ as the territorial training and development officer. She will also retain her appointment as area commander in the Ontario Division. In recognition of the expanding desire of non-officers to engage in ministry leadership, the territory is investing in a new training initiative specifically tailored to the needs of non-officer leaders, spearheaded by Major Deana. “This new appointment will allow me to draw upon my experience, learnings about leadership and relationships with stakeholders across the territory to create more opportunities for training and developing people for ministry,” she says.
Mjrs Deana and Rick Zelinsky
Army Magazines and Website Win 18 Awards
O
n June 26, the territory’s magazines, website and digital media won 18 awards from the Canadian Christian Communicators Association (CCCA), formerly Canadian Church Press, in a ceremony held on that organization’s Facebook page. The editorial team took home three prestigious General Excellence awards, two for its magazines, Faith & Friends (first place) and Salvationist (third place), and one for the Salvationist.ca website (thirdplace). Overall, Salvationist took home six awards, Faith & Friends received eight, the digital media categories garnered three and Foi & Vie, the Army’s French publication, received one. The territorial marketing and com-
munications team took home second place in the newly created Marketing Campaign category for their “Everyone Needs an Army” campaign. Also highlighted was the editorial department’s use of social media, which earned top prize. The awards were given for work published in the 2019 calendar year. “We recognize the creative excellence and substantive written contributions that garnered significant recognition,” says Lt-Colonel John P. Murray, territorial secretary for communications. The CCCA includes representatives from approximately 60 member publications, including mainline, Catholic and evangelical churches. Member publications were invited to enter in more than
30 categories. The awards were judged by accomplished journalists and academics from both the religious and secular media. For the full list of awards, visit salvationist.ca/articles/army-magazines-andwebsite-win-18-awards/. What to Do When Holidays Are Difficult
How to Livestream Your Worship Service
General Brian Peddle: “Spread the Word!”
THE VOICE OF THE ARMY Nouvelles valeurs
ESSENTIELLES p. 4 December 2019
Room Belleville’s Warm
Emily Ann Roberts
VOICE LESSONS
P.5
Faith&Friends Past as Prologue
FROZEN 2 P.14
ARMY ASSISTANCE
I N S P I R AT I
P.26
IVING ON FOR L
Salvationist.ca
Joy to the World Sharing the good news at Christmas
Geste de bienveillance
DE CLARENCE p. 12
Foi&Vie POUR MIEUX VIV RE
MARS 2019
armeedusalut.ca
Sans peur
faithandfriends.ca
NOVEMBER 2019
LE FUNAMBULE NIK WALLEND A TROUVE L’ÉQUILIBRE GRÂCE À SA FOI. p. 8
Faith on High
READ PASTOR HARRY TION ARMY N!) RETIRED SALVA INTO NORMANDY (AGAI NG P.16 PARACHUTED AND A CALLI FOR A CAUSE
Salvationist September 2020 7
Northern Exposure From recovery to reclaiming his Indigenous identity, Cameron Eggie is growing in Salvation Army leadership.
Photos: Hope Linzee Photography
BY GISELLE RANDALL
C
ameron Eggie was a transitional housing caseworker at The Salvation Army’s Gateway of Hope in Langley, B.C., when the chaplain at the time, Major Henri Regamey, encouraged him to explore chaplaincy, and mentored him in the process. While completing a certificate in chaplaincy and spiritual care at Booth University College, Eggie was hired at Vancouver Harbour Light on the Downtown Eastside. “On my first day, Major Regamey introduced me to everyone,” says Eggie. “But he didn’t start with the staff—he took me outside to the food line. There were about 200-300 people standing in line for a meal, and he walked me through, shaking every single person’s hand.” As Eggie has grown in leadership within The Salvation Army, that introduction has stayed with him. “It really 8 September 2020 Salvationist
helped shape my idea of what The Salvation Army is all about,” says Eggie. “Beyond our programs and systems, we’re here for this long lunch line of people.” Today, Eggie is the executive director of the Army’s Northern Centre of Hope in Fort St. John, B.C., where he serves along with his wife, Tatjana. “The Salvation Army is an organization with the capacity and depth to help in so many different situations,” he says. “And it’s encouraging to know the community wants us here—it makes you want to do good work.” Downward Spiral Eggie is from Selkirk, Man., a small city just outside Winnipeg. Once a settlement of the Peguis First Nation, the government relocated the reserve about 175 kilometres north in 1907. Eggie’s great-grandfather was forced to choose
Cameron Eggie is the executive director of The Salvation Army’s Northern Centre of Hope in Fort St. John, B.C.
between losing his status, friends and cultural identity or moving to the distant reserve. He chose to stay. In the mid ’90s, Canada determined that the surrender of this land was invalid, and that restitution was necessary. While Eggie has status as a member of the Peguis First Nation, he didn’t grow up with a strong sense of his cultural heritage. “I was disconnected,” he says. “I didn’t have some of the same struggles as others my age whose families did move onto the reserve and I was told, ‘You’re a success.’ ” They lived in a low-income neighbourhood, and many of his friends were involved with drugs and alcohol. With
aspirations of becoming a police officer, though, he managed to keep it at arm’s length. But when he was 19, he fell while rollerblading, breaking his femur and hip. He was in and out of a wheelchair for almost a year. “It ended my hopes of law enforcement,” he says. “I was angry, bored and didn’t care anymore, so I started using drugs and alcohol.” Hoping for a fresh start, Eggie moved to Langley, B.C., where a cousin lived. Things were better for a while, until he reconnected with a friend from back home. “He had never left that scene,” he says. “I made bad choices, and it was a fast downward spiral. Soon it wasn’t a choice anymore, and I was deeply entrenched in addiction.” For just over two years, Eggie tried to hide what was going on from his family and friends. “Nothing was falling apart on the outside—I never got to the place of unemployment or homelessness,” he says. “But I felt like a piece of garbage, because my entire life was made up of lies. It was a mountain of shame that I just couldn’t carry anymore.” One night, he finally realized he needed to ask for help. He called his cousin, whose husband was the director of Teen Challenge B.C., a Christian addiction recovery program. “I remember telling her, ‘I have a friend and he’s really messed up. He’s wondering if there’s a bed available at Teen Challenge,’ ” he recalls. “And she said, ‘It’s you, isn’t it?’ ”
enced, even though he grew up going to church. “The gospel was sold a little cheap: ‘If you just believe in God, you’ll have everything you need,’ ” he says. “It didn’t seem worth pursuing.”
We have a front-row seat to people’s lives and it’s an incredible responsibility, but also an incredible gift. Instead, it was the other way around. Stripped of everything, he met God. “Living with other broken people who were searching after God—that’s when it became real,” he says. “That’s when it became a relationship.”
A Way of Life After graduating from Teen Challenge in November 2008, Eggie moved to Chilliwack, B.C., to work for them. In the spring, a friend who worked at a Salvation Army youth shelter told him about a position that had opened up. “I didn’t know anything about The Salvation Army, and my last job had been as a packaging supervisor for an agricultural company,” he says. “But I met with the director and she really went to bat for me and brought me on. I’m indebted to the Army for taking a chance and believing in me.” Although shelter work was new to him, it soon became a way of life. After working at the youth shelter for twoand-a-half years, he took a position as a transitional housing caseworker at The Gateway of Hope in Langley. It was there A member of the Peguis First Nation, Eggie is honoured to serve in a community with a high Indigenous population
Experiencing Grace That was a Monday evening. By Friday, he was on his way from Langley to Kelowna to begin the intense 12 to 18-month program. “That week, I came clean with everyone,” he says. “It broke a lot of trust and relationships, but on that drive, I’d never felt so free—because I wasn’t living under the weight of lies anymore.” When Eggie arrived, he immediately felt welcomed. “As soon as I opened the door, someone said, ‘Hey, that’s the new guy,’ and put his arms around me,” he says. “It was the first time I felt acceptance without a transaction. I had nothing to give, and I was still welcomed with a hug.” It was a powerful example of grace— something he had never truly experiSalvationist September 2020 9
Eggie and his wife, Tatjana, work together as ministry unit leads
that an officer told him about the Army’s leadership development opportunities. Eggie started taking social work classes, and then completed the certificate in chaplaincy and spiritual care. After spending a year as a chaplain at Harbour Light, he returned to The Gateway of Hope as the residential services manager and then operations manager. During this time, he also completed a not-for-profit management course at Booth, the Arrow Leadership Program and began work on a master’s degree in theology and intercultural studies with NAIITS (North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies). “It’s giving me a space to engage with my culture in a healthy way,” he says. “Like so many, I didn’t know how to integrate my faith and my cultural identity. NAIITS gives us a place to wrestle with some of those things.” Since 2012, the Army has supported Eggie’s education, providing opportunities to grow and develop as a leader. But it’s the chaplaincy training that has grounded him. “Sometimes we think we need all our ducks in a row, our programs to be perfect, but we always have the opportunity to talk to someone,” he says. “In our own stories, it’s usually when we came to the end of ourselves that we met God. In The Salvation Army, we get to meet people in similar circumstances every day. “This is where people can meet God, right here, in this vulnerability, in this brokenness. We have a front-row seat 10 September 2020 Salvationist
to people’s lives and it’s an incredible responsibility, but also an incredible gift.” Positive Change In 2017, another leadership opportunity arose, this time in Fort St. John, B.C., where Eggie and his wife, Tatjana, now serve together as ministry unit leads. “The Salvation Army’s programs here are vital, because they are one-of-a-kind in the community,” says Eggie. “We have the city’s only registered foodbank, and up to 600 families a month rely on us. We also have the only emergency shelter with attached transitional housing beds in the region.” In winter, extreme temperatures keep people indoors, so hidden homelessness is a challenge, along with addiction. “Finding staff and programs to support those unique populations is important, but difficult,” says Eggie. At the beginning, their goal was to become as integrated in the community as possible and re-establish the Army as a significant contributor to local social services. “We’re trying to remind the public of what we do, and how we’re here to help,” says Eggie. And it’s working—last Christmas, donations were up more than $50,000, and in the spring the city donated $75,000 to the food bank. The chief of a nearby First Nation also supports the food bank financially. “He recognizes that the Army is supporting their folks who live off reserve,” says Eggie. “As a member of a First
Nation, I feel honoured to serve in this community, as we have a high Indigenous population.” As a leader, Eggie’s approach is to mentor employees and empower them to make decisions. “I remember what it’s like to be on the frontlines,” he says. “I think it’s important to question our processes and find out from our staff if there are ways we can make things better.” One way he’s tried to make things better is in the housing application process, which can be slow. “When I became a manager, I said, ‘You don’t need to ask me if we can help someone. You need to defend why we can’t,’ ” he says. “It gives people the freedom to move forward and develop their own systems—which helps them grow in confidence.” This ability to make change at a policy level is one of Eggie’s favourite parts of the job. “It’s one of my biggest joys in Salvation Army leadership,” he says. “To create positive change and see how it directly impacts the people we serve is so rewarding.” Hope and Faith Over the past several months, the COVID19 pandemic has made it “all hands on deck.” At first, food bank numbers were up, with donations going down. “In March, we had two employers call to warn us of impending layoffs,” says Eggie. “They wanted to know where to send people.” At the same time, the Army needed to send volunteers home and close the thrift store. Eggie gave the store employees the option to be cross trained at the emergency shelter. “But after the initial impact, donations rose and the community responded with incredible generosity,” he says. With health concerns for his wife and a global crisis, the past year has been a challenge. Through it all, Eggie’s faith has deepened. “It’s been tough, but God has sustained us and we have not lost hope or faith,” he says. “It reminds us of the fragility of life and what we are promised. Our hope is not in the situation changing, but in a God that doesn’t change.”
Invisible Chains Fighting human trafficking from coast to coast. BY LEIGHA VEGH
I
was being held captive in a farmhouse with a bunch of other kids and we were in a dark basement. We were being sexually abused. Somehow, I escaped. Outside, it was bright, warm and sunny. I went back to the farmhouse. I opened the basement window and it was pitch black in there. I reached in, grabbed a hand and, one by one, pulled each child out of the darkness.” This was the dream Jackie McLennan had when she was 17 years old. It wouldn’t be until her mid 40s that she would understand what that dream meant. Jackie was only two years old when her father began sexually abusing her. When she was six, Jackie’s parents separated and her father transported Jackie to Sudbury, Ont., where he moved for work. In this way, he was able to isolate her from loved ones. There was no one to identify her and help her escape the exploitation and abuse she was living through. During this time, Jackie’s father brought her fishing, along with her new puppy. Once there, her father harmed the dog as a demonstration that he could hurt her mother if she ever revealed the abuse that was happening to her. Out of fear for her mother’s life, Jackie was coerced into submission. Over time, the abuse increased and began to include sexual exploitation as Jackie was trafficked to others. “My dad would take me to hotels and leave me in a room with a sex buyer,” she recalls. “He also drugged my food or drinks and gave me alcohol on a regular basis when he abused or sold me.” Though Jackie moved back with her biological mother at the age of seven, she would still visit her father and the trafficking continued. When she was 11, a new trafficker entered Jackie’s life—a woman who eventually became her stepmother. “She immediately started sexually abusing me as well,” says Jackie. “She would set up dates for me to be sold and would drug me before she sent me off with a sex buyer.” As a teenager, Jackie blocked out these memories. “This can be a defence mechanism where individuals experiencing trauma do not remember or inadvertently block their traumatic experiences,” notes Major Rachele Lamont, territorial modern slavery
Jackie McLennan has dedicated her life to helping other survivors of human trafficking
and human trafficking co-ordinator. “It’s about surviving.” “As a teenager, I didn’t have the memories and I was acting out of control,” Jackie recalls. She drank every day, started using drugs and ended up in situations where she was sexually assaulted. She continued blocking out the traumatic memories until she was 24. “When I walked past a certain area of trees, I would feel sick to my stomach—I thought it was déjà vu,” says Jackie. But she later realized that it was a place where her father would pick her up for the purpose of abusing her and then would drop her off there after so she could return home. When the memories eventually flooded back, Jackie resolved to never see her father again. She started going to trauma counselling, which helped her healing process. “It’s important to talk about it; you really can’t deal with it on your own,” she says. Professional emotional trauma care is critical to the healing process for survivors of human trafficking. Her relationship with her biological mother, no matter how turbulent, was also a huge support. She knew her mother loved her very much. “I know it’s why I turned out as resilient as I am,” says Jackie. It is these types of support systems that help survivors to heal. Jackie struggled for a long time with the anger and her feelings towards her father. Many victims never find peace when it comes to their exploiters. But Jackie was able to find that place of forgiveness because of her understanding and relationship with Jesus. “I was overwhelmed with anger for my father,” she says. “I could not forgive my father until I did it through Jesus—I don’t think I ever would have got to that point without Jesus.” It wasn’t until her mid 40s that Jackie finally realized what her dream of pulling the children out of the basement of the farmhouse meant. She was being called to help other survivors of human trafficking. “I realized that’s the calling of my life, to help pull others out of that same darkness that I had been in,” she says. “I felt Jesus speak to me. He told me I was important and that I was going to help a lot of people. I knew I was going to need a lot of strength for it, which was scary.” Salvationist September 2020 11
Combatting Human Trafficking
If you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, call Canada’s National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.
12 September 2020 Salvationist
Jackie had yet another dream that would encourage her on this path to helping other survivors of human trafficking. “I woke up from another horrible dream that my daughter, who was 12 at the time, had been kidnapped and sex trafficked,” she recalls. After waking up, Jackie was scrolling through Facebook when a post for a Christian band she liked caught her eye. When she clicked on it, the link took her to a charity group that was raising money to help children who had been sex trafficked in Cambodia. “I thought, OK, that’s strange in light of the dream that I just had,” she says. The next morning, the calling was louder than ever. When Jackie went to church, a guest speaker spoke about his upcoming trip to Turkey to help fight sex trafficking. “I thought, This is really weird. And I thought I was being called to help, but I still wasn’t entirely sure,” she says.
“I want anyone else that is suffering to know that there is hope; there is life after trauma, and you are loved.”—Jackie A few weeks later, a final sign gave Jackie the certainty that this was God’s plan for her life. She was picking up her daughter from an overnight church camp and was excited to hear the children perform a song they had learned. Jackie had her camera in hand ready to videotape her daughter, but as soon the singing started, a young girl stood up in front of her blocking her view. “I noticed the back of her shirt said Stop Traffick in big letters,” she remembers. “I didn’t know what I’d be doing or where I’d be going, but I knew then that this is what I was called for.” Jackie now works with The Salvation Army’s correctional and justice services in London, Ont., as a peer support worker, helping other survivors with such things as emergency clothing, rides to medical or legal appointments and simply talking to them about their shared experience. “Because I’m a survivor, they know I understand how they’re feeling and I’m not judging them,” she says. It’s also a safe place where survivors can share a meal together and get away from whatever they’re dealing with in their lives. The group has fun, too. They go on day trips for activities such as goat yoga and overnight camping excursions. “One of the girls was 27 and had never been camping in her life. It was a funny story because we had to deal with a skunk all night—terrifying, but a great memory,” Jackie jokes. “It’s been an amazing journey and healing for me, too,” she says. “I wouldn’t have been able to tell my story a year ago; I was painfully shy. But now, I’m stronger, more confident.” One of the ways in which Jackie is helping other survivors is by sharing her story. “If my story can help even just one person, then it’s worth telling,” she says. Jackie is also sharing the love of Jesus with others ever since she experienced it in her own life. “He showed me how much I am loved and the fear in my heart has been replaced with hope.” Jackie’s purpose now is to help others out of the same darkness she had lived in for years. “I want anyone else that is suffering to know that there is hope; there is life after trauma, and you are loved,” she says.
Photo: D-Keine/iStock via Getty Images Plus
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uring the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for sexual services and exploitive labour has continued unabated. The Salvation Army’s correctional and justice services in London, Ont., works to provide support to survivors of human trafficking on a personal level. Among its programs is Cornerstone Dignity, a weekly drop-in group to help survivors to transition back into mainstream society by building positive relationships. Other support includes an on-site nurse, therapy dogs and community outings, which will resume after the pandemic subsides. The centre also has peer support workers who mentor survivors and provide crisis support. A training program is employing women and helping them become leaders. Regular community information sessions are held to educate the general public about trafficking. Deborah’s Gate in the British Columbia Division saw an influx of new referrals during the COVID-19 crisis as other agencies closed their doors. The services, which include case management, rehabilitation programs, a 24-7 crisis line and a live-in safe house, have been accessed at a much higher frequency, especially in remote regions and Indigenous communities. Staff members at Deborah’s Gate provide clients with several options for support, including psychosocial assessments, educational programs, life-skills development workshops and assistance during court appearances. Partnerships with other anti-human trafficking agencies allow for safety planning and policy to ensure the well-being of survivors. One such partnership is a flight program to transport clients to their hometown or to other programs that may aid their safety and recovery. Correctional and justice services in Winnipeg works in partnership with external agencies to provide legal advocacy, emotional and spiritual care, travel accommodations and an emergency shelter. The Women Seeking Alternatives program focuses on the relational component of women involved in the sex industry. Through an emphasis on relationship building, many survivors have helped others through their journey of recovery. Correctional and justice services also raise awareness through presentations and discussions about human trafficking, both within The Salvation Army and externally. The training equips people to recognize the signs of trafficking and how to help.
Human Trafficking in Canada: More Than a Statistic BY MAJOR RACHELE LAMONT
Sex Trafficking • A young girl is pressured by her “boyfriend” to sell her body out of a hotel room after school. • A woman is transported around the country and forced to work in massage parlours and unofficial brothels. Labour Exploitation • A man enters the country on a temporary migrant worker visa and is now picking fruit on a farm that has unsafe and unhealthy working conditions. • Another man works in a restaurant in conditions that degrade his dignity and has been deprived access to his
passport. He fears for the safety of his family if he tries to quit. The Salvation Army’s Mandate The Salvation Army is strategically positioned to actively and intentionally make a difference in helping people escape human trafficking. Everyone in the Canada and Bermuda Territory is needed to combat this form of social injustice, to make a difference in the life of someone who is being trafficked and exploited. Whether you are an officer, employee or volunteer—this is everyone’s fight. To stand with the many organizations and individuals committed to fighting human trafficking in Canada, the Army’s territorial human trafficking committee has developed a “Fight for Freedom” national strategy. These are the four objectives:
20.9 million people are forced into different forms of labour and sex trafficking
to rebuild their lives, it is essential to provide holistic services that recognize the unique trauma they have experienced. This may include housing, counselling, medical care, legal advocacy, job training, interpretation, immigration relief, substance abuse recovery, and food and clothing assistance. 4. Partnership and Advocacy Human trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the world. For this reason, The Salvation Army is intentionally collaborating with others to fight against it. Deliberate partnerships are being formed, both within The Salvation Army and with external organizations. The work of fighting trafficking is never in short supply. God calls us to, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9). Ultimately, this is his battle, this is his fight, and everyone is invited to join.
1. Awareness and Training Effective and intentional education is needed at every level of The Salvation Army’s territorial structure so that every person and ministry expression is trained to know about modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation, and equipped to combat it.
Photo: Tim Teebken/Photodisc via Getty Images Plus
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uman trafficking is a form of modern slavery. The United Nations defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons by improper means such as force, fraud, coercion, deception, abduction and abuse of power for the purpose of exploitation. It’s a multibillion-dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to an estimated 40.3 million people around the world, including 20.9 million people who are forced into different forms of labour and sex trafficking. People read statistics but don’t often engage with trafficking on a deeper level because they feel it is a problem that is happening “over there” in developing countries. Many think such exploitation, trauma and oppression could never happen here. As the old saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Yet, Canada and Bermuda are not immune to human trafficking. Canada has been labelled internationally as a “destination country” for humantrafficking victims, a “transit country” through which victims are moved and a “source country” for recruiting potential victims. No matter where we live, chances are it is happening nearby. Here are some scenarios of the various types of human trafficking.
2. Prevention and Outreach The Salvation Army is strategically positioned to prevent human trafficking and exploitation within the Canada and Bermuda Territory. Our goal is to establish and expand existing ministries and programming to prevent human trafficking and the exploitation of people. 3. Survivor Services and Recovery As survivors of sex and labour trafficking work
Salvationist September 2020 13
ETHICALLY SPEAKING
Final Words What happens when a candidate for Medical Assistance in Dying requests pastoral care?
Photo: PIKSEL/iStock via Getty Images Plus
BY AIMEE PATTERSON
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eople matter. Life matters. Dying matters. Death matters. We believe these statements. We see them at work when corps host food banks, run moms-and-tots programs, teach English classes, offer intercessory prayer or knit prayer shawls. They are signs of compassionate love that expects nothing in return. Not all corps officers are knitters, nor are they expected to be. But corps officers are expected to journey with dying people. This is an essential part of pastoral care. And it’s becoming more complex. With the addition of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canadian law and health care, we have witnessed a big shift in the way many Canadians think about death, dying and human life. MAiD is the intentional ending of human life. Physicians and nurse practitioners are legally permitted to perform MAiD to eligible patients who request it. Since its inception in 2016, MAiD has been given to thousands of people. Some have called 14 September 2020 Salvationist
on Salvation Army officers for pastoral care. This is new territory. Let’s take a closer look at what journeying with a person considering MAiD can look like. Nurturing Compassion The Salvation Army stands firmly against MAiD. This position is grounded in the belief that all people are created in God’s image. Everyone has God-given intrinsic value, which we call human dignity. Human dignity means our lives are sacred. Our value cannot be removed by action or health condition. Instead, we deserve compassion and care throughout our lives. This is no less true when we are dying. However, MAiD is not an acceptable response of care. Contrary to those who advocate for MAiD, The Salvation Army holds that the direct and intentional ending of life goes against human dignity. Instead, The Salvation Army champions palliative care. Palliative care offers comfort and pain relief when cure and
control are not possible. An interdisciplinary team attends to a person’s physical, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual needs. Palliative care extends to the point of a person’s natural death. It also extends to the person’s family and loved ones as they cope with loss and grief. It works toward a good death without ending the life of a person, because that person is always worth caring for. Palliative care recognizes a paradox in human suffering. Suffering cannot be left unaddressed. But it cannot be stricken from human experience. There is labour in coming into life and there is labour going out. That is part of what it is to be human. We find this idea in Scripture, too. The Apostle Paul writes about his own sufferings. They don’t go away. Yet he finds something to hope in that is greater than physical healing (see 2 Corinthians 12:710). Helping people find this hope, even in profound suffering, is part of the work of a pastor. When a person considering
ETHICALLY SPEAKING
or opting for MAiD seeks pastoral care, Salvation Army officers are not discouraged from providing it. As everyone has God-given dignity, we are not to turn our backs on people who opt for MAiD. We may stand against MAiD, but we stand for people. People are always worth our care. This aligns with other situations in which officers might provide pastoral care. For instance, we do not refuse care to a person who is considering elective abortion. We care. And without compromising our ethical position on this act, we care with compassion. We care best, I think, when we imagine ourselves in the other person’s position. What is it like to be a person who is suffering to the degree that they want their life to be over? We’ve read about people like that in Scripture. Job and Jeremiah suffered so much each cursed the day he was born (see Job 3:1-3; Jeremiah 20:14). Jonah and Elijah each prayed that God would end his life (see Jonah 4:3; 1 Kings 19:4). What led these people to desire death? How much suffering must they have experienced? We nurture compassion by reflecting on how we respond to the death of a loved one who has suffered much. It’s common to hear, “Her death is a sad loss for us, but I’m glad her suffering is over.” It’s a horrible thing to witness someone languishing in pain or struggling to breathe. We wish we could take that suffering away, perhaps even take their pain on ourselves, as Jesus did for each of us. That is true compassion. We are called to care compassionately for people who make choices we would not make or advise. We can believe that killing a person to end their suffering is deeply wrong. And at the same time, we can believe their suffering is deeply wrong, too. End-of-Life Journey So, what happens when a corps officer is asked to go on a pastoral care journey with someone interested in pursuing MAiD? Of course, every situation will be different, depending on the existing relationship and other contextual factors. But we start with love. Salvationists are called to convey in word and deed that God loves everyone. Offering pastoral care to a person considering or opting for MAiD means ensuring they know God will love
them no matter what they decide. Likewise, we are called to love others just as Jesus loves us (see John 13:34). Jesus was a healer whose miracles were not limited to the body. He was the kind of person who looked suffering people in the eyes with compassion. He showed them they mattered—and mattered to him. Pastoral care includes looking the person in the eye and saying, “You matter to me.” Journeying with the person typically involves presence. Not all officers will feel comfortable being present with a person considering MAiD, particularly when the time of MAiD comes close. For instance, an officer may object to MAiD by conscience, feeling that, if the person
first option they considered when faced with profound suffering. Gentle questions may help open up their story: What has led you to consider MAiD? Do you feel your life has value or hope? What do your relationships with family and loved ones look like? What about your relationship with God? Do you know that God loves you just as you are? Conversation is not easy. But many palliative care practitioners say that offering patients the opportunity to share their story leads many of them to choose against MAiD. There are other care matters officers should prepare for. More and more, we are hearing from physicians that they
Gentle questions may help open up their story: What has led you to consider MAiD? Do you feel your life has value or hope? opts for MAiD, a direct pastoral care relationship makes them complicit. An officer’s choice in this matter should be respected. In such cases, the officer needs to communicate the kind of care they can and cannot offer to the person with gentleness and compassion. This doesn’t necessitate a severing of relationship; it is an honest statement of what the officer is and is not capable of giving. There may be additional ways to demonstrate ongoing compassion, such as ensuring the person remains a welcomed member of the community and knows the officer continues to pray and encourage prayer for them. The journey of pastoral care is not about providing medical advice. Both those who offer and receive care should know this. Instead, attentive listening, conversation and prayer permeate the relationship. Each person has a story, one that is unique and worth our attention. It reveals much about who the person is. And it tracks the journey they have already walked, one that has led them to this point of decision-making. MAiD is probably something a person has pondered long before approaching a corps officer. But it’s unlikely MAiD was the
have faced trauma after performing MAiD. These are stories that don’t make the news. The same trauma can be experienced by those who offer pastoral care. Recently, area commanders have been trained to support officers facing this situation. They can provide resources for the journey and offer debriefing opportunities. In addition, training materials for providing pastoral care to persons considering MAiD are currently in production. Look for them to be rolled out soon. Finally, corps officers have power to shape the culture of a corps. If people, life, death and dying all matter, we all need to be engaging these matters before we think we need to. So, take up those hard topics of suffering, dying and death on a regular basis. Address them in sermons and Bible study. Ask the Ethics Centre to assist in arranging for a conversation series or webinar. In creating greater comfortability around these topics, we may cultivate communities of people who know that even profound suffering cannot diminish their God-given dignity. Dr. Aimee Patterson is a Christian ethics consultant at The Salvation Army Ethics Centre in Winnipeg. Salvationist September 2020 15
For more resources, visit salvationarmy.org/isjc/IADPrayer
NOT CALLED?
My Calling Or, how God makes me restless then finally says, “Go.”
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BY NATALIE WILLIAMS
year and a half ago, I boarded a plane on Christmas Day, praying for a resolution to a desire that had been growing in my heart for 16 years. I didn’t get the answers I was looking for on that trip to St. Louis, Missouri. They would come in a much more surprising way a month later. Looking back, I realize that this has always been the way God has affirmed my calling to ministry: he births a desire in my heart, feeds it until I can’t stand the restlessness and then, months later, finally releases me to pursue it. “You Can” The first time, I was 14 years old. My dad had just died, and my church’s children’s pastor asked me to join a small ministry team headed to one of our denominational camps for a week. In the end, I spent most of the summer there, and my shy, grieving, hungry heart soaked up the opportunity to see all the things I loved most—connecting with people, music, storytelling—used in service for God. At the end of the summer, I cried out to God, “Why can’t I always do this?” And the still, small voice of God spoke clearly to my waiting heart, “You can.” Not Yet My first experience of The Salvation Army was at camp, too. I was in Grade 11. I needed a summer job, and my mother’s friend, Captain Lori-Ann Mitchell, suggested Jackson’s Point Camp. My mother and I had recently affirmed that as I got older, it was not necessarily a given that her church be my church. By the end of the summer, I found myself asking God whether I could join The Salvation Army year-round. God’s answer, which I took as “no” at the time, was a deep conviction that he had placed me where I was for a reason. Clear Answer When I disembarked in St. Louis on Boxing Day, my brain was foggy with travel weariness, but my spirit was alert. I was there to work at Urbana, a mis-
A life in obedience to God shapes desires within us that serve a kingdom much more spacious than any we might attempt to build for ourselves. —Natalie Williams Salvationist Selfie Brian and Natalie Williams share a photo op
sions conference designed for university students to explore how God was calling them to serve. Back home, my husband, Brian, was starting to fill out his application for the Candidates Fellowship, the first step toward Salvation Army officership. I had come to this conference to work, but I knew it was the perfect place to ask God if I was also called to be an Army officer. God did not give me a straight answer, but he did speak to me clearly, affirming that the desires and restlessness I had been feeling for several months were from him, and I formally began the journey to officership. Shaping My Heart People seem to get a little tripped up when we talk about how God’s will interacts with our desires. On the one hand, “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). But there’s also the command, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). I have been reminded over and over in this journey that when we are living in light of the largeness of God’s kingdom, when we are committed to his
glory above our own, his spirit shapes our desires. Reading through the rest of Psalm 37, it is clear that a life in obedience to God shapes desires within us that serve a kingdom much more spacious than any we might attempt to build for ourselves. For our family, it meant reflecting on all the ways that God has formed our desires as we have filled out the mountain of paperwork in preparation for attending the College for Officer Training in Winnipeg this fall. So much of this process has been an answer to prayer as we have been empowered to do ministry together and to serve in a local church setting without losing touch with the ways serving the vulnerable is a declaration of God’s kingdom. As I reflect on my sense of calling, I realize that over the years the primary question in my heart has shifted. As a teenager, I wondered, What does God want me to do with my life? But now I find myself much more interested in knowing this: “How is God shaping my heart for his kingdom?” Follow Natalie’s journey at unfortunatelyjacob.wordpress.com Salvationist September 2020 17
PERSPECTIVES
The Social Network Our media engagement should reflect our faith and values.
Illustration: pressureUA/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Plus
BY LT-COLONEL JOHN P. MURRAY
Social media is about sociology and psychology more than technology.—Brian Solis
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ocial media is mainstream. People everywhere seem to be constantly connected to their smartphones and tablets as they check local news and weather while uploading photos and videos of their latest adventures. We are a deeply interconnected world thanks to social media and I believe that’s a good thing. The world has become smaller as we share information, learn about new people, places and cultures, and engage with those on the other side of the world in real time. Indeed, every time my wife, Brenda, returns home from one of her overseas trips as the director of world missions, I receive new Facebook “friend” requests as people want to learn more about Brenda and her family. People want to connect with their communities, but they also want to expand their sphere of interest and influence, and today, there are myriad digital platforms to help people do just that. Founded in 2004, Facebook boasts more than 3.8 billion monthly users, 18 September 2020 Salvationist
with the largest followings in India and the United States. Other influential platforms include YouTube and WhatsApp, both citing two billion users, as well as Facebook Messenger and Instagram, with 1.3 billion and one billion users, respectively. And don’t forget Twitter, which enjoys strong engagement with more than 330 million users, sharing in excess of 500 million tweets every day. The sheer volume of content—photos, videos, instant messages and stories—is staggering. Instagram, which was created in October 2010 and is owned by Facebook, reports more than 500 million uploads a day worldwide. And more than 3.5 billion people, almost half the world’s population, are daily social media users, with 91 percent accessing their accounts via smartphones. Users spend an average of three hours every day uploading content and surfing sites. That said, I would be pleased to reduce my daily usage to just three hours, but then again, I am engaged in communications work. The 2010 blockbuster movie, The Social Network, tells the story of Harvard University student Mark Zuckerberg and the creation of Facebook—today, the larg-
est social media platform on the planet. It’s a fascinating film that unpacks the human dynamics in the establishment of the social media site, while foreshadowing the pitfalls and potential for negativity that we see today on many platforms. Social media has had a rapid and profound impact on culture and human behaviour since the advent of the earliest applications in the early 2000s. While we celebrate connecting, sharing and engaging, the medium has also allowed people to hide behind their screens and, in doing so, feel liberated to post unkind comments, share negative or racist tweets and bully others. This is especially problematic within elementary and high school settings. Over the past several years, we have witnessed a growing trend of negative political commentary, with all sides of the political spectrum tearing down their opponents. Recently, we witnessed the viral response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The civic unrest seen across the globe in response to Floyd’s death at the hands of police was fuelled by social media—photos, videos and commentary. But what does this all mean for you and me and The Salvation Army? Well, I believe we have a responsibility to engage and respond to ideas and opportunities, but with an added measure of grace, balance and civility. As a former leader and now good friend of mine once told me, “Always take the high road—you’ll never be sorry.” I think this is wise counsel as we consider engaging in “hot button” topics that flood our social media feeds daily. Think before you write. As Salvationists, we need to help set the standard for how we use social media, because everything we post reflects on us not only as individuals, but on the organization. Our social media engagement should reflect our faith and values. In the coming weeks, a new digital media policy will be shared across the territory, accompanied by a series of online workshops. We’re excited about our continued digital growth and engagement with our stakeholders and look forward to connecting with officers and employees as we seek to remain current, engaged and accountable in the world of digital media. Thanks for following us. Let’s stay connected. Lt-Colonel John P. Murray is the territorial secretary for communications.
Photo: Lt Jennifer Henson
Esther Gardner’s four children, Sophie, Abigail, Hudson and Brielle, check out the bucket gardens available for free at The Salvation Army’s Renew Church and Community Ministries
Bucket List The Salvation Army and Incredible Edible Okanagan tackle food insecurity one garden at a time. BY MELISSA YUE WALLACE
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ne in six children live in poverty in Central Okanagan, the B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition reported earlier this year. As startling as that is, it’s more disheartening to know the research was conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a record-high unemployment rate. Negatively impacting the health, finances and mental health of many Canadians, the virus has wreaked havoc— especially for those who struggle to put food on the table. Fighting food insecurity is one reason why The Salvation Army’s Renew Church and Community Ministries in West Kelowna, B.C., distributed 25 free, selfwatering bucket gardens—each containing a Tiny Tim tomato, cucumber and lettuce seedling—to the community in June. “We just put it out there and said, ‘If you’re interested in gardening and want to get your hands dirty, then try it out,’ and the buckets went really quickly,” says Lieutenant Jennifer Henson, corps officer. “We didn’t screen people because we’re trying to work past stereotypes people have about coming to The Salvation Army, mainly that you don’t have to be ‘down and out’ to finally come to us. “If we can help interrupt cycles of poverty earlier on, then it will be our privilege to do so.”
Serving the Westbank, West Kelowna and Peachland communities, the Army operates a thrift store and addresses food insecurity through education and food literacy. “There’s a saying, ‘You can either give someone a fish or teach them to fish,’ so that’s the approach we’re taking to empower people to provide for their own food needs,” says Lieutenant Henson. The bucket gardens were a collaboration with Incredible Edible Okanagan, an organization that has been dedicated to improving access to locally grown food for the past five years. “This year, because of COVID-19, a lot of people are aware of food insecurity and have started gardening, for that reason and also for mental-health reasons,” says Lois Beischer, founder of the organization, who first met Lieutenant Henson at a community event. “I had a variety of seeds to help someone who is food insecure start their own garden in their yard and gave them to Lieutenant Henson to hand out. From there, it grew to the bucket gardens.” Beischer, who planted the first community garden in the Okanagan in the 1990s, is passionate and motivated by this work. Securing a grant from her insurance company, Foresters, as well as donations from Home Depot and Middlebench Gardens, she and a dedicated team of volunteers carefully put each bucket garden together.
“Anyone could be a paycheque away from going hungry and we’re called to support each other,” says Beischer. “If doing something small like growing a garden moves you on a different trajectory in life, it’s just amazing.” Candice Loh, a first-time gardener, is thrilled that her plants are thriving. Living in a condo in downtown Kelowna, she has so far used the crops for multiple meals and has replanted several others. “This is a great idea for anyone who has never gardened before, to get a taste of gardening and know if it’s something you can do,” she says. “I’m loving the experience and it has given me inspiration for the future.” Esther Gardner, a West Kelowna resident, has enjoyed cultivating an interest in gardening among her four children. “It’s so kind of the organizers to give out all the seeds and buckets to help people during COVID-19, both with food and something to do,” she says. “As a family, we learned how to make a self-watering container, and it’s been nice to have some extra food on our balcony.” The Army and Incredible Edible Okanagan hope to continue the bucket garden program, with plans to work with a school in the fall, develop a curriculum, talk about food insecurity, help students grow food from seed and plant a passion for gardening. “I want to encourage ministry units to keep their eyes open for ways to partner with assets that are already present in your communities,” says Lieutenant Henson. “We were approached about whether we wanted to be a part of this, said ‘yes,’ and now opportunities and doors are opening. “If we play our part, collaborate and work well with others, our ability to impact communities for good will be exponentially greater than if we try to do things on our own.” To find out how to grow your own selfwatering garden bucket, visit youtube. com/watch?v=maoWthQVo94. Melissa Yue Wallace is a freelance writer living in Richmond Hill, Ont. Salvationist September 2020 19
From left, Michelle Boissonneault, is joined by Jon DeActis, executive director, to celebrate her 200th day of sobriety
the affordable housing program reported having overall improved health, a sense of dignity and higher self-esteem, according to research conducted by Abe Oudshoorn, a nursing professor at Western University in London, Ont. The study also showed that whereas people’s health and social outcomes continue to decline when they stay at a temporary shelter, having the stability of a private room decreases anxiety in clients by eliminating the chance that they might be robbed or exposed to drugs. The program is unique in Canada and took inspiration from similar programs in Detroit, Michigan and Philadelphia.
Home Sweet Hope London Centre of Hope is more than just a transitional home.
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BY LEIGHA VEGH
n her 200th day of sobriety, Michelle Boissonneault, a resident at The Salvation Army’s London Centre of Hope, Ont., is, as the centre’s name suggests, hopeful. “I’ve been into detox here 25 maybe 30 times, so this is a spot that I’ve always known is a safe haven,” she says. “When they call it the Centre of Hope it is because they give hope.” When Boissonneault moved into her private room at the Centre of Hope, she had just experienced one of the most brutally cold winters after spending more than a year and a half homeless on the streets of London. Her drug use was out of control to the point where she had caught a flesheating bacterial infection and her teeth were decaying. “I was giving up; I was an empty shell of what I used to be,” she says. “I was weeks away from being dead.” The unique transitional housing program at the centre began when the City of London announced that they were going to depopulate shelter beds. That’s when 20 September 2020 Salvationist
the Recovery Community Centre at the Centre of Hope was formed, with a mission to bridge the gap between addiction and recovery. Typically, people experiencing homelessness and drug addiction go through a detox treatment, head to a temporary shelter and then end up back on the streets where the cycle continues. The withdrawal management program at the centre sees 1,200 clients each year and for some of those, they will take a walk down the hall to embark on a journey of stability and personal growth. The Recovery Community Centre offers long-term affordable housing where residents can rent a room for up to four years. The fee is anywhere between $500$800 based on a clients income source. They are given their own personal room, which comes fully equipped with a bed, desk and bathroom, including a shower. Beyond the four walls that many will call home, the fee also includes access to all the centre’s programs, including meal plans and financial supports. Residents in
The Pandemic Plan When the program launched in December 2019, no one could have guessed it was opening on the cusp of a global pandemic. To make matters worse, a fire broke out on one of the floors in the centre, which temporarily displaced 20 residents. “The positive thing is that this was a catalyst to change,” says Jon DeActis, executive director. The City of London intervened to purchase hotel rooms for those displaced by the fire and the Centre of Hope identified the most vulnerable clients based on factors of health and age to stay there. At the time, no one knew that these flames would fuel the fire of necessary change for the looming COVID-19 crisis, where the hotel rooms would be needed for extra space for the shelter to enforce physical distancing measures. Other precautions the centre immediately adopted included opening the dining hall three times a day instead of the usual two to ensure people had the room to stay a safe distance apart. Stocking up three months of personal protective equipment was another measure put in place from the very beginning of the crisis. Physical distancing was practised in the hallways and the chapel was turned into an isolation room in case someone contracted the virus. The Centre of Hope’s pandemic plan was so successful that other shelters in the city started adopting it. “During this pandemic we’ve not had one resident or staff member in the shelter system end up testing positive for COVID-19,” says DeActis.
As the City of London is in talks to depopulate city shelters after COVID-19, directors such as DeActis are faced with the new challenge of figuring out how to deal with the demand of finding housing for an influx of clients. Home for All The Centre of Hope isn’t only a home for those struggling with drug addiction. While many do struggle with addiction, others have suffered misfortunes such as a job loss or mental-health challenges. “As the old saying goes, ‘You are just one paycheque away from being homeless,’ ” notes DeActis. Students who can’t afford a place to live while in school are also served at the shelter. Whether residents are employed or searching for a job, the goal is to encourage people to create a life of stability. The housing stability bank program helps residents with the first and last month of rent when they move out into a permanent home. Some of the funds are offered as grant money and some as loans that clients have three years to pay back. The amount they must pay back is minimal. “If they can’t pay it back, we just forgive it,” says DeActis. Staff at the Centre of Hope also help clients with the application process for government financial aid and get them to
a place of independence where they can search for housing on their own. Clients who need extra help are also referred to Housing First, an external program to assist them with permanent housing. The Centre of Hope has a variety of programs that extend beyond addiction and recovery. There is the community and
“
At the beginning, I was absolutely hopeless. I didn’t know where I was going to go—but this place has brought life back to me. —Michelle Boissonneault
”
family program that serves the London community with operations such as a food bank and a Christmas hamper program. Last Christmas, the centre served 4,500 food hampers, gave away 6,500 bags of toys for children and produced more than 700 meals a day for those experiencing food insecurity.
During COVID-19, the centre adapted by assembling a special team to operate an emergency vehicle in the parking lot. With the City of London helping fund meals five days a week during the pandemic, additional support was much needed. “We went to the Christian Church Network of London and put out a request for volunteers,” says DeActis. The response was overwhelming. “We needed 60 to make the program run and we ended up with 140 volunteers,” he says. A Place of Hope For Boissonneault, who was the second resident of one of the rooms at the Recovery Community Centre at the shelter, the sense of community and support is what makes the Centre of Hope more like a home than just a recovery program. “Having the support of the staff—some of whom have been through what I’ve been through—and being able to have a community meal with everyone is kind of like having a family,” she says. Since first arriving at the shelter, she has been able to have her teeth replaced with dentures and her flesh eating infection has healed. “I’m taking the direct steps to where I need to go in life and to feel OK with who I am as a person,” she says. While Boissonneault has plans to return to school to become a security guard, she is focusing on staying on track in the present. “Right now, I’m not looking too far ahead because I’ve spent so long in the epitome of hell. I’m just trying to take this one day at a time,” she says. For the time being, she’s thankful to have a place that she can call home. “Having my own space, my own bed and somewhere I can call my own is an incredible feeling,” she says. “At the beginning, I was absolutely hopeless. I didn’t know where I was going to go—but this place has brought life back to me.”
“London Centre of Hope is more than just a shelter,” says DeActis
Salvationist September 2020 21
Photos: Courtesy Brazil Territory
Children play a game of checkers at the Army’s centre in the Vila dos Pescadores neighbourhood in São Paulo, Brazil
Brighter Futures for Brazil The Salvation Army is meeting the practical needs of children in São Paulo. BY ROBYN GOODYEAR
I
n the densely populated and evergrowing Vila dos Pescadores neighbourhood in São Paulo, Brazil, houses are built on stilts in a swampy area. Unemployment is high, and community members rely on employment in the fishing industry and local informal commerce, such as unlicensed markets and vendors. There is no elementary or middle school in the area, so students have to go to school in a neighbourhood on the other side of a busy highway. This community is plagued by high rates of crime and drug trafficking, resulting in frequent police raids, as well as dangerous levels of pollution due to lack of environmental conscience. Social exclusion results in low self-esteem, low motivation from students and high vulnerability among residents, with little hope of overcoming the difficulties they face. The Salvation Army in Brazil is meeting the practical, social and spiritual needs of more than 150 families each year through a program funded by the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s Brighter Futures Children’s Sponsorship Program. This project aims to tackle serious issues through education and training by equipping students and their families with valuable life skills and community support. Trained educators at the centre help to implement a new political education 22 September 2020 Salvationist
plan, provide life-skills teaching and a curriculum focused on the prevention and empowerment of children and adolescents against sexual exploitation and abuse. The centre offers classes in the arts, dance, films, computer skills and reading. Through these classes and games, students are taught about the themes of structural racism, violence, trafficking and crime, abusive relationships, and how to confront difficult situations. Here, children learn from an early age important values of respect, social awareness and environmental consciousness, which they can use to protect themselves and their community. The centre also provides children and adolescents with opportunities to learn and play in a protected environment, and connects families with social workers who help to strengthen family ties in order to prevent situations of vulnerability and social risk. Selma, a mother of three who lives in the Vila dos Pescadores neighbourhood, has a longtime connection with the Salvation Army centre in her community. After her nieces and nephews went through the program, Selma was encouraged to enrol her oldest daughter, then later, her two adopted children. While working to take care of a baby and also helping to look after her own mother,
Selma was grateful to the Army for giving her children a safe place to be during the day besides roaming the streets. Through a period of unemployment for her husband, the centre provided practical support, such as when the children received regular meals and a Christmas hamper of clothing, footwear and sweets. Now, Selma’s husband is employed again, and their oldest daughter has grown into a strong woman, while the youngest children still attend programs at the centre. “When I say jokingly that I am going to take them out of the project,” Selma says, “they say, ‘No!’ because they like it very much.” Selma is no longer working, so she attends meetings, lectures and presentations at the centre as well. Now that she is able to participate and spend more time with them, her relationship with her children has grown. Selma is thankful for everything the centre has provided for her as a mother and for her family. The Salvation Army in Brazil provides hope for a brighter future for many children and families who are at risk in the Vila dos Pescadores community. Through the generous support given through the Brighter Futures Children’s Sponsorship Program, children like Selma’s can learn and play in safe environments and be educated on important social issues that will have a lasting impact on their own lives and in their community. To help make a difference in the lives of children around the world through the Brighter Futures Children’s Sponsorship Program, visit salvationist.ca/worldmissions/brighter-futures. Robyn Goodyear is the international project support co-ordinator in the world missions department.
Selma and her children enjoy coming to The Salvation Army in Brazil
INSPIRED FOR MISSION | POSITIONED FOR GROWTH
Transformation project to launch new territorial vision and strategic plan. BY GEOFF MOULTON
S
ince its inception, The Salvation Army has known how to adapt to meet the times. Flexibility and relevance are built into our DNA as an Army. We can mobilize wherever, whenever, with a wealth of resources and expertise. This has never been truer than during this pandemic as we reach out to serve others in Jesus’ name. Prior to COVID-19, the territory had already embarked on a journey of discovering what God has in store for us next. From the moment of their arrival, our territorial leaders, Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd, have encouraged a process of discernment. This has included several steps: • travelling across the territory to listen to different Salvationist voices, particularly the “new thing” that God is doing (see Isaiah 42:19); • conducting a broad-based territorial survey that asked, “Where is God leading the Army?” (see the results at salvationist.ca/ territorialsurvey); • engaging Salvationists in 100 Days of Unceasing Prayer and Shared Scripture for 100 ministry units across the territory (see salvationist.ca/100Days), including an opportunity for people to share how God is prompting them. The next stage for the territory will involve a program of organizational transformation under the banner Mobilize 2.0—Inspired for Mission, Positioned for Growth. Led by the territorial commander, this program will build on our seven strategic priorities as highlighted through Mobilize—Upward,
Outward, Onward. This new program will take our planning further to help establish: 1. A new territorial vision statement in the fall of 2020. 2. A strategic plan for the territory to be unveiled in 2021. Dry Bones Become a Vast Army As Commissioner Floyd Tidd notes, “Just changing structures does not guarantee changed outcomes. We cannot make our plans in isolation from God.” For this reason, our territorial leaders have chosen Ezekiel 37 as the theme for this new season of planning. This passage of Scripture reveals Ezekiel’s vision of the children of Israel as a pile of dry bones in the desert that are reassembled and reanimated into a vast army. The order of events is significant. Before the “dry bones” in the desert can live, before there can be renewal and rebirth, God makes a promise: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:26). God is clearly the author of this transformation. Next, the dry bones must be rearranged, and flesh must be put on the bones (see Ezekiel 37:6-8). Transformation requires structural change and the “fleshing out” of concrete strategies and methods. Lastly, the bones require “the breath of God” (see Ezekiel 37:9-10). Without it, they are still lifeless. Ezekiel’s vision suggests that revival only happens when we get a fresh wind of God’s Spirit. A Path Forward “We know what we do and how we do it,” says the territorial commander, “but
we need to know where we are going and how to get there. The seven territorial priorities must fit into a strategic plan that gives us a clear path forward to best achieve our new vision and grow our movement.” These are just the first steps of the journey. Further surveys and opportunity for input are forthcoming. This is a process that will require us to adapt and learn together. A measure of grace is needed to help us discern together what God is saying. Watch Salvationist magazine and Salvationist.ca in the coming months for more information on the “new thing” that God is doing in our territory. Be a part of the vast Army that God is raising up to fight for his glory. The Three “Whys” To help keep the Mobilize 2.0 program focused, the territory has developed a decision-making framework of three principles—the three “whys”—through which all decisions will be filtered. • A Vision-Aligned Strategy— intentionally developing and implementing a strategy to deliver a vision for the Canada and Bermuda Territory. • A Holistic Mission-Delivery Model—ensuring a consistent and shared commitment to understanding where and how we deliver mission. • Mission-Fit Processes— enabling effective support of our mission delivery. Salvationist September 2020 23
CORPS VALUES
Keeping Christ at the Centre Majors Frank and Rita Pittman share their thoughts on the important role of the corps officer.
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ore than 36 years ago, then Lieutenants Frank and Rita Pittman took up their first appointment as corps officers in Glover’s Harbour, N.L. Today, Majors Pittman continue to serve in a shared ministry that has taken them to a variety of corps and administrative roles, including as the divisional leaders in Bermuda. News editor Pamela Richardson caught up with them in their current appointment as the corps officers at Corner Brook Temple, N.L., and asked them to share their thoughts on the important role of the corps officer and some of their fondest memories of ministry. When did you recognize the call to officership? Major Frank Pittman: From a very young
age, I wanted to be an officer. I was totally involved in my home corps and had many committed corps officers who set a great example for me. By the time I was 13, I was preaching and leading meetings, and when I graduated from high school, there was nothing else that I desired. Major Rita Pittman: At the age of eight, God told me very clearly that he had a work for me to do in ministry, but I didn’t understand what that meant. Three years later, my family moved to a new community, where I was invited to the Army by a friend. I loved the vibrancy of their worship and became
Mjrs Frank and Rita Pittman are the corps officers at Corner Brook Temple
24 September 2020 Salvationist
involved in the corps. While attending a congress in St. John’s, N.L., some years later, I surrendered my life to God for service as an officer. How have your years in non-corps appointments, particularly your service in Bermuda, prepared you to serve again as corps officers? FP: Serving in divisional appointments
gave us the privilege of working with many great corps officers. Sometimes that meant walking with them through difficult challenges, but the journey was always rewarding. We learned many valuable lessons on what to do and what not to do, and which ideas worked well and which ones did not. Those appointments also gave us a greater awareness of the administrative structure of the Army. RP: We thoroughly enjoyed corps life in Bermuda, and often wished we could have switched roles to serve as corps officers in any one of the vibrant congregations in the division. That appointment gave us a deep appreciation for the culture in Bermuda, which we will take with us forever. What has been your biggest joy in serving as corps officers? FP: Making a personal connection with
people as we journey through life with them. We’ve been privileged to
celebrate in joyous times with some and to walk with others through very difficult moments. Regardless of the circumstances, to journey with people on a personal level is what makes ministry fulfilling. RP: It’s been a delight to see people experience salvation, grow spiritually and take on leadership roles in the corps. Helping people to prepare for training college is also rewarding. What has been your biggest challenge? RP: Trying to meet all the demands
placed upon us as corps officers—as pastors, preachers, accountants, program planners, administrators, and the list goes on—is a challenge. FP: Finding a proper balance between our role as corps officers and our personal lives can be difficult. How has the role of a corps officer changed? FP: The greatest change I have seen is
in the area of administration. I know technology has many advantages, but I sometimes miss the days of having a simple cash book! It was so easy and less complicated than cash sheets today. Keeping up with ever-changing software programs can be very time consuming. What is your fondest memory of ministry? RP: My fondest memories are of the
times we have witnessed the salvation of people and the transformation of their lives by the presence and power of God. We will never forget holding 24-hour prayer meetings, prayer rallies and daily prayer meetings, and then watching as God poured his blessings upon our congregation. What advice would you give to newly commissioned officers? FP: First, remember that you are
privileged to walk with people through the journeys of their lives, to guide, nurture, inspire, comfort and encourage them. Second, always be open to where God will appoint you through the Army and be fully engaged in the appointment you currently have. Looking ahead to what comes next can cause you to lose your focus for ministry. RP: Love unconditionally and proclaim the message of God’s love. Keep your roots deep within the Word of God and Christ at the centre of everything you do.
Photo: Win/stock.Adobe.com
GRACE NOTES
All the Single Ladies Why are women leaving the church at alarmingly high rates? BY CAPTAIN LAURA VAN SCHAICK
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atie Gaddini is senior teaching fellow at University College London and affiliated researcher at Cambridge University’s department of sociology. After studying single evangelical women for the past five years, she discovered that, in the United Kingdom, single women are the most likely group to leave the church. Numbers in the United States tell a similar story, as they most likely would in Canada and Bermuda. But why are they leaving? Gaddini indicates that many single Christian women are leaving because they are, well, single. The evangelical church has long exhorted that marriage is God’s design for humankind. The family unit and Christian family values have been promoted and even idolized. Single women are weighed down with questions of “Are you dating anyone?” or “When are you going to settle down and get married?” like it’s a requirement or, at the very least, an expectation. As someone who “settled down” early in life, I’ve been guilty of asking these questions and was confronted about it by a friend. I am thankful for her honesty and have committed to changing my views and words, but this verbiage is still prevalent in
Christian circles and damaging to singles. For Christian women who want to marry, many struggle to find a spouse who shares their Christian faith. The odds don’t work in their favour, with most churches seeing as much as a 4-1 ratio of women to men. At times, the dating competition is enough to push some away. For those who do not want to pursue marriage, even greater exclusions can apply as they continue to feel left out of church programs that revolve primarily around the nuclear family. As young adults, they find themselves grouped with much younger unmarried youth. As they age, many feel expected to fill the role of compulsory childcare provider because they do not have children of their own. The result can be isolating, to say the least. What’s more, single women often reported their voices not being respected in church discussions. Gaddini shares that the word “intimidating” came up often in her interviews with single Christian women as they told her of accusations that had been launched at those who were career-focused rather than family-focused. Many felt that marriage afforded women a certain authority and acceptance within
the church that they otherwise lacked, and this affected their ability to contribute to the church community at a level beyond that of front-line service roles. But by far the most overwhelming factor that Gaddini found causing single women to leave the church is sex. Single women reported struggling with the church’s messaging regarding sexual purity and its unwillingness to discuss human sexuality at its most basic level. Those in their 30s and 40s are too old to relate to messaging regarding abstinence targeted at teens, while messages about intimacy aimed at married couples also don’t resonate. And in mixed-gender settings, some were even accused of being a temptation to the married men present. It’s no wonder single women find it difficult to stay in the church. And while some do—much of Gaddini’s research focused on the courage and strength it took for single Christian women to stay connected to the church—it should raise questions about what the church can do to ensure that everyone feels loved, welcomed and accepted, regardless of marital status. While the Old Testament views marriage as the solution to loneliness (see Genesis 2:18, 24), the New Testament shifts this. It views the church, rather than marriage, as the primary place where human love is best expressed and experienced. Jesus indicated that there is no greater love than sacrificial love toward a friend (see John 15:13). Thus, the answer to belonging is not marriage but the church community that God has called into being, with Jesus as the head, led by the Spirit and marked by mutual, sacrificial love between its members. Loving our single sisters may involve sacrifice. It may involve a shift in our worldview, programs and messages we deliver from the pulpit to ensure our gatherings and language are more inclusive. It may involve engaging in conversation on difficult topics, welcoming singles’ voices and asking them how they can feel more respected. It will most definitely involve learning from our single sisters, asking forgiveness for past ignorance and reconciling broken relationships. If we do this, we will be acting like the church as Jesus intended it to be. Let’s ensure we are creating a safe space for the single women among us. Captain Laura Van Schaick is the divisional secretary for women’s ministries in the Ontario Division. Salvationist September 2020 25
VIEWPOINT
What’s in a Name? Three things that deserve the label “Christian.”
Ch
ris t
ian
BY DARRYN OLDFORD
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hen I was little, you would usually see me with my nose in a book. While biographies and history books were fascinating, nothing sparked my imagination more than high fantasy. Heroes, adventure, magic—the more fantastical the world, the more interested I was. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis quickly became a favourite. And then came Harry Potter. I have no desire to revisit discussions that have been going on for the past 20 years. If you and your family do not feel comfortable reading the Harry Potter books, I won’t try to convince you otherwise. Still, the whole debate struck me as strange. Both the Harry Potter and Narnia books take place in a magical world, where good ultimately triumphs (spoiler alert) in the battle against evil. Narnia is an allegory, with direct parallels between Aslan and Jesus. One of the main themes of Harry Potter is that the only thing more powerful than evil is sacrificial love. Despite the overlap in moral teaching, The Chronicles of Narnia have been labelled “Christian fiction” while Harry Potter is considered secular. Perhaps it comes down to marketing, rather than an indictment of the content of these books. In my opinion, there are only three things we should ever label “Christian.” The first is people, those who have professed faith in Jesus and do their best to be a light to the world. The second is the church, which describes the believ26 September 2020 Salvationist
ers who gather and not necessarily the building we gather in. While sanctuaries should be treated with reverence, they are only holy places because that is where we choose to come together and worship God. The third and final thing is the Bible, which provides direction and teaching from the mouth of God. Labelling these three things alone as Christian is the only way to keep from watering down the meaning of the word. To be Christian means to confess Christ as Lord. Ascribing the label “Christian” to fantasy books or businesses does not sanctify anything, but rather markets a product in hopes you will buy it.
Ascribing the label “Christian” to fantasy books or businesses does not sanctify anything, but rather markets a product in hopes you will buy it. There is no such thing as a Christian business. A business can be owned or operated by Christians, use Bible verses or Christian symbols on their packaging or pray for their customers, but if the end goal is financial profit, it is not a Christian enterprise. I am not saying businesses should ignore their faith—1 Corinthians 10:31 says plainly, “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” What I am saying, however, is if it’s part of a marketing strategy to drum up support by paying
lip service to the Christian community, while underpaying staff, destroying the environment or giving little to charity, it’s not Christian. Additionally, there are businesses in the world today that are masquerading as churches. If the pastor of a megachurch is more concerned about private jets than poverty, it’s clear that the Bible and faith have become products they are trying to sell, and not God’s kingdom on earth. In Scripture, the only time we witness Jesus being angry was when he saw the money-changers in the temple. It wasn’t a momentary decision to flip over the tables and drive the animals out; he spent time beforehand fashioning a whip out of cords. If you have ever braided something by hand, you would know that this is a lengthy process, which would have given Jesus time to think, pray and possibly get angrier. While driving the dove sellers out, he said—or possibly yelled— “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” (see John 2:16). While this anger is often attributed to the money-changers charging exorbitant fees, preventing some people from practising their faith, it seems clear to me, from the very words of Christ, that Christianity and exploitative economic systems are not supposed to mix. Labelling some fast-food restaurants as Christian because they put Bible verses on their wrapping paper has the added effect of pressuring Christians to eat there, because they are “on our side.” Keep the name “Christian” for the church, the Bible and people—and train people to seek out God in what they read and eat. God is too big to be confined to the pages of a fantasy book or a fast-food menu. Darryn Oldford is a senior soldier in Toronto.
CROSS CULTURE
A Hopeful Vision Creating a Beatitude community. BY MAJOR STEPHEN COURT
A
aron White’s Recovering: From Brokenness and Addiction to Blessedness and Community is a profound explanation of the framework for salvation and the blessings of Matthew 5:1-12 in Jesus’ teaching known as the Sermon on the Mount. As the title suggests, the Beatitudes are considered in relation to an individual’s journey of addiction and recovery. Readers will find that the concept is scalable as well—recovering communities can also epitomize the Beatitudes. However, this book is for more than just those who are familiar with addiction. In the introduction, White notes: “What is at stake is not just recovery from drugs, alcohol and other attachments, but the recovery of full humanity, which is the recovery of the image of the divine in each person.” This book is for everybody. Through full-bodied teaching, interwoven with gut-wrenching illustrations, the author crafts a vision of Jesus’ ideal for living as a Beatitude-like community. White explains, “Recovery communities understand that a wholesale renewal of heart, mind, lifestyle and relationships is necessary for those addicted to drugs and alcohol. The Beatitudes show that a complete
than reaching for “world peace.” In the process of transforming one’s own table, one can help the transformation of an entire block. And from there? Only God knows. “This is the purpose of the Beatitudes: not to bring us sobriety, progressive politics, good morals or full churches, but to guide us toward the recovery of Jesus’ divine image in us and in one another,” notes White. Recovering will accelerate the advance toward this goal, prompting the reader to question how to practise Beatitude-like community even within their corps. Purchase Aaron White’s Recovering: From Brokenness and Addiction to Blessedness and Community at bakerpublishinggroup.com
About the Author Aaron White worked with The Salvation Army for more than 20 years and graduated with a master of theology from Tyndale Seminary in Toronto. He currently resides and ministers in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, an area that is known for its social issues including high levels of drug use, homelessness, poverty and crime. He also serves as the Vancouver representative for the International Association for Refugees and is the national leader of 24-7 Prayer Canada.
Through full-bodied teaching, interwoven with gut-wrenching illustrations, the author crafts a vision of Jesus’ ideal for living as a Beatitude-like community. reorientation of life is no less necessary for those who have been conformed to the dislocation of the world.” To establish his case, White leans on the term theosis, coined by Gregory of Nazianzus, arguing that Jesus is the physical embodiment of the Beatitudes. We can only be like Christ if we have union with him. “Who is poorer of spirit,” he asks, “more mournful, meeker, hungering and thirsting more for righteousness, more merciful, purer of heart, more of a peacemaker, and more persecuted for the sake of righteousness?” White explores the attributes of Jesus to help readers understand their great need of him: “Christ does not just bless the broken; he is the broken. And Christ is also the exemplar of the ‘blessed’: the inheritor of heaven and earth, the Son of God, the comforted, the fulfilled. He is the perfect picture of what it means to be fully human in our brokenness and blessedness.” A key way to create a Beatitude-like community, notes White, is through intentional friendships that allow people to become more vulnerable with each other. White encourages readers to start small: “Rather than trying to transform the world, focus on transforming your table so that you can start making peace on your block.” This may be a stretch for many, but it is more practical Salvationist September 2020 27
PEOPLE & PLACES
CFOT Supports Partners in Mission JOIN US FOR
Moving Salvationists beyond “I’m not Racist” A four-part webinar series Facilitated by Major Shari Russell and Captain Crystal Porter Hosted by Dr. Jim Read and Dr. Aimee Patterson, The Salvation Army
WINNIPEG—Cadets from the College for Officer Training (CFOT) raised $10,082.12 during the 2019-2020 academic year for Partners in Mission, an amount that exceeds last year’s fundraising and beats their 2020 goal. An anonymous donation of $3,000 to the campaign significantly helped this effort. Typically, the campaign ends with a ceremonial cheque being presented to the territorial commander during the “Kidette” commissioning meeting on the evening of Covenant Sunday. However, due to COVID-19, things looked a little different this year. In lieu of an in-person cheque presentation, Commissioner Floyd Tidd, territorial commander, received this photo from the CFOT. From left, Cdts Tony DaSilva, Anjie DaSilva, Rebecca Hewson, Patrick Penton, Aimee Thomas, April Barthau and John Burton.
Sept 15, 22, 29 & Oct 6, 2020 REGISTER TODAY
salvationarmyethics.org
BRANTFORD, ONT.—Brantford CC receives a donation from Gail Millen for more than $3,040 in support of the corps’ Partners in Mission fundraising effort that she raised by making and selling face masks. From left, Patricia Lunn, who attends Brantford CC and helped sell the masks, Paulette Bresu, who assisted in making the masks, and Gail Millen present the results of their hard work to Mjrs Lise and Darrell Jackson, COs.
GODERICH, ONT.—Thanks to a partnership between Suncoast Citadel, the United Way Perth-Huron and local businesses in the Goderich area, 50 “Comfort Kits” have been prepared and distributed to bring encouragement, boost spirts and share hope during the pandemic. In addition to brightening the days of people in the community, small local businesses were financially supported through the purchase of the bread, fruits and vegetables, tea, jam, handmade cookies, house plant and art supplies that were placed in the kits. Also included were cards with a Scripture verse, signed by those who had prepared the kits, and a list of local agencies that are available to support people during the pandemic and beyond. 28 September 2020 Salvationist
PEOPLE & PLACES
Your gifts have helped bring clean water to more than 100,000 people around the world.
BRIDGEWATER, N.S.—When Robert Aulenback celebrated his 90th birthday, his church family at Bridgewater Corps surprised him with a cake. Enrolled as a senior soldier in 1949, Aulenback is a longtime member of the corps and its oldest soldier. Pictured with him are Mjrs Darlene and Wilson Sutton, then COs. Together, we're making a world of difference. Donate Today: SalvationArmy.ca/giftsofhope
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C.—Sierra Dunning receives the Junior Soldier of the Year Award for 2019 at Prince George CC in recognition of her many contributions to the life of her corps and community. Dunning attends corps cadet classes, volunteers at the Army’s Curt Garland Community Support Centre, serves on the tech team for Sunday services, assists in the kitchen, instructs young dancers and dances competitively in the Army’s recreational performing arts program, and plays in the corps’ novice brass band. Salvationist September 2020 29
PEOPLE & PLACES
Accepted as Auxiliary-Captains
100th Anniversary Celebrations Hazelton Corps
Jamie Anstey Labrador West, Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador Division From childhood, my parents encouraged me to be involved in the church. The support I received from my corps officers and leaders led me to a relationship with God and helped me to discern his will and calling for ministry. After working with community and family services for more than 14 years, I knew I needed to continue my ministry through the avenue of officership. I look forward to sharing the good news and providing hope to a world in need. Robbie Donaldson Woodstock, Ontario Division In 2015, I was in financial, mental and spiritual turmoil, so I went to a Salvation Army food bank for help. They gave me more than food that day, and I knew I had to attend church on Sunday. While singing Amazing Grace, I cried with guilt and shame for blocking the Lord from my life for 47 years. I knew Jesus as a child but had drifted away. I began to pray and read Scripture, and my life was changed when I accepted Christ back into my life. I became a senior soldier in 2016 and started working for The Salvation Army. God has called me to share his message of reconciliation as an officer and to befriend the marginalized he brings into my life.
OFFICER RETIREMENT Commissioned in 1974 in the Followers of Christ Session from the College for Officer Training in St. John’s, N.L., Major Wilson Perrin retires September 1. As a teenager, he felt God’s call and remembers corps officers and cadets who were influential in his decision to become an officer. Wilson served as a corps officer in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Manitoba, divisional secretary for business administration in the Maritime and Prairie divisions, chaplain at Memorial University of Newfoundland, divisional property co-ordinator in Newfoundland and Labrador, and executive director in long-term care in Brandon, Man., and Winnipeg. He retires from his final appointment as executive director at Glenbrook Lodge for Senior Citizens and Glenbrook Villa in St. John’s. Wilson is grateful for the ministry he has shared with his wife, Major Winnie Perrin, for their family and for God’s faithfulness, and prays that each day in retirement will bring an opportunity to share Christ.
Upper Skeena Circuit, British Columbia Division NE D PO ST PO October 10-11, 2020
With Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd Territorial Commander & Territorial President of Women’s Ministries
For further information or to send greetings: Janet_Hougesen@can.salvationarmy.org
GAZETTE INTERNATIONAL Appointments: Aug 1—Lt-Col Beauty Zipingani, TSWM, Zambia Tty; Sep 1—Mjr Agripina Góchez, CS, Latin America North Tty, with rank of lt-col; Nov 1—Comrs Merle/Dawn Heatwole, TC/TPWM, Latin America North Tty; Cols Lee/Debbie Graves, ISBA/IHQ chaplain and City of London liaison officer, IHQ, with rank of comr; Lt-Cols Paul/Jenine Main, CS/ territorial secretary for leader development, United Kingdom Tty with the Republic of Ireland, with rank of col; Cols Gabriel/Indumati Christian, TC/ TPWM, India South Western Tty; Cols John Kumar Dasari/Mani Kumari Dasari, TC/TPWM, India South Eastern Tty; Lt-Cols Lalhmingliana Hmar/ Lalhlimpuii Chawngthu, national executive officer/secretary for women’s development, India National Office, with rank of col; Lt-Cols Chawnghlut Vanlalfela/Khupchawng Ropari, TC/TPWM, India Western Tty, with rank of col; Mjrs John William/Ratna Sundari Polimetla, CS/TSWM, India Western Tty, with rank of lt-col TERRITORIAL Birth: Lts Matthew/Whitney Reid, daughters Emily Grace and Katie Morgan, Jun 27 Appointments: Mjr Carson Durdle, special assignment, N.L. Div; Mjr Donna Senter, York CC, Toronto, Ont. Div; Mjr Royal Senter, international financial and accounting standards training and deployment officer, IHQ (based in Canada); Cpt Cathy Shears, Eastside Citadel, Fairbanks, N.L. Div; Aux-Cpt Jamie Anstey, Labrador West Corps, Labrador City, N.L. Div Promoted to major: Cpts Glynden/Diane Cross, Cpt Jennifer Hillier Retirements: Sep 1—Mjr Caroline Braddock, Mjrs Larry/Marilyn Bridger, Mjrs Terry/Joanne Cook, Mjrs Gerry/Robin Cory, Mjrs Wayne/Cavell Loveless, Mjr Sharon McDonough, Mjr David Oldford, Mjr Wilson Perrin, Mjrs Craig/ Patsy Rowe, Mjrs Herbert/Kathleen Sharp, Mjrs Roland/Lorraine Shea, Cpts Phoungern/Oudaovanh Sombounkhanh Promoted to glory: Mjr Rayfield Boutcher, Jun 26; Mjr Frederick Howse, Jul 7
CALENDAR
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Home-Schooling
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Faith&Friends I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G
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SEPTEMBER 2020
VICTOR IOUS
Victoria
WITH THE HELP OF THE SALVATION ARMY, HUMANTRAFFICKING SURVIVOR IS PUTTING HER LIFE BACK TOGETHER. P.16
Body and
Soul
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September 2020
VOLUME 23 NUMBER 9
BEYOND BORDERS 5 Doing Good in Zambia
A video project in Africa gave Aaron Bowes a new appreciation for the international work of The Salvation Army. SOMEONE CARES 8 Supplying Hope
Salvation Army back-to-school program draws community support. FAITH BUILDERS 10 A Writer’s Life
8 Home-Schooling
IS IT FOR YOU? P.12
The Personal History of David Copperfield looks at Charles Dickens’ masterpiece with fresh eyes. FEATURES
Making a Difference
ZAMBIA P.5
Family Supports Army
NICKELS AND DIMES P.26
Faith&Friends
12
I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G
faithandfriends.ca
SEPTEMBER 2020
VICTORIOUS
Victoria
WITH THE HELP OF THE SALVATION ARMY, HUMANTRAFFICKING SURVIVOR IS PUTTING HER LIFE BACK TOGETHER. P.16
COVER STORY
16
23
From ABCs and 123s to DIYs and TLCs
Home-schooling may not be as daunting as you think.
One Strand at a Time
Human-trafficking survivor Victoria Morrison is putting her life back together.
In His Hands
Diagnosed with a rare illness, Cindy Moore experienced God’s love in a way she never had before.
Cover photo: Mark Spowart
23
COMMON GROUND 26 Nickel-and-Diming It
Angila Holden and her four grandchildren are helping The Salvation Army during the time of COVID-19. LITE STUFF 28 Eating Healthy With Erin
Sudoku, Quick Quiz, Word Search. NIFTY THRIFTY 31 A Class Act
Get back to school in fashion.
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Faith&Friends
FROM THE EDITOR
Her Strength Within
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riter Shannon Wise first met Victoria Morrison over dinner on a chilly January evening this year. Their conversation lasted well over two hours. “I felt as if I was chatting with a girlfriend of mine that I had known for years,” says Shannon. “Victoria was confident, well-spoken and driven to tell her story with the hope of helping others. “And she is one heck of a fighter,” continues Shannon. “Her willingness and ability to share her story is remarkable. After the unthinkable violence she was subjected to at the hands of another human being, her vulnerability is astonishing. Very few would be as brave as Victoria has been. She gives me hope.” And after all she’s been through, she trusted Shannon to tell her story. “Victoria is a reminder of the strength women can find within, even in their darkest days,” concludes Shannon. “This was an experience that will stay with me well beyond the pages of this article.” Read Victoria’s inspiring story on page 16. Elsewhere in this issue of Faith & Friends, you’ll find out how a Salvation Army church is preparing for back-to-school time, read how one woman’s faith has deepened over the course of a devastating illness and see how a Salvation Army mission trip to Zambia changed how one man viewed the world.
Ken Ramstead
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Mission Statement To show Christ at work in the lives of real people, and to provide spiritual resources for those who are new to the Christian faith.
Faith & Friends is published monthly by: The Salvation Army 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto Ontario, M4H 1P4 International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4P 4EP, England William and Catherine Booth FOUNDERS
Brian Peddle, GENERAL Commissioner Floyd Tidd TERRITORIAL COMMANDER
Lt-Colonel John P. Murray SECRETARY FOR COMMUNICATIONS Geoff Moulton, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ken Ramstead, EDITOR
Brandon Laird SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Hannah Saley DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Pamela Richardson, COPY EDITOR, PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR
Ada Leung CIRCULATION CO-ORDINATOR
Leigha Vegh STAFF WRITER, PROOFREADER
Giselle Randall STAFF WRITER Scripture Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from New International Version Contact Us P. (416) 467-3188, F. (416) 422-6217 Websites faithandfriends.ca, salvationist.ca, salvationarmy.ca Email faithandfriends@can.salvationarmy.org Subscription for one year: Canada $17 (includes GST/HST); U.S. $22; foreign $24 P. (416) 422-6119 circulation@can.salvationarmy.org All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada & Bermuda and cannot be reproduced without permission. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064794 ISSN 1702-0131
Faith&Friends
BEYOND BORDERS
Doing Good in Zambia A video project in Africa gave me a new appreciation for the international work of The Salvation Army.
Photos: Courtesy of Aaron Bowes
by Aaron Bowes
Zooming In Aaron Bowes sets up a shot for an interview at Salvation Army headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia
O
n one of the last days of our campaign resource gathering visit to Zambia, our Salvation Army film crew wandered onto a field where a soccer match was going on. No fancy cleats on display, no team jerseys. Just kids of all ages kicking a threadbare ball around in joyous abandon. As we were setting up to shoot some footage, a man started to march
toward us, obviously not liking the fact that we were going to film his friends. But his intimidating manner evaporated when he saw the Army shield on our jackets. “Oh, Salvation Army,” he smiled. “You’re free to come in here whenever.” It was at that moment that it hit me: everywhere in Zambia, people understand the good The Salvation Army is doing.
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Faith&Friends
BEYOND BORDERS
A Joyful Noise Salvation Army soldiers at the Army’s Livingstone Corps in Zambia
African Adventure As a Salvation Army digital media producer, I was asked to accompany a team from the world missions department on a fact-finding trip to Zambia earlier this year. I would help film a dozen or so videos that would highlight the Army’s work there. While I was nervous about protocols for filming in public overseas, I was also excited to go as I’d never been to Africa before. Conversations with colleagues who had been on such trips before put my mind at ease. Though the 30-hour trip from Toronto to Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was long, I couldn’t wait to start work. Lt-Colonel Brenda Murray, director of world missions and our team leader, told me later that I always seemed to have a grin on my face. And I did! For me, it was more of an adventure than work, despite the
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gruelling 16-hour-a-day pace we set for ourselves. Earned Respect Every day was an early start because we had four to five shooting locations on our agenda, each one telling a tale of the Army’s work. We’d assemble at the hotel breakfast bar, and the team would look to me for the overall shooting plan. While we had a vague idea of who we were interviewing, once we got to the location, whether in a rural farm area or an inner-city informal settlement, we never knew who would show up or what was in store. But we stuck to the itinerary and everything worked out. One of the places we visited was a Salvation Army church deep in the inner city of Lusaka, where we were privileged to take part in a church service. We also toured an Army-run
Zambians know the amount of development work that the Army is doing in the country, and they respect that. AARON BOWES school in a Lusaka informal settlement and saw hospitals in rural communities where The Salvation Army operates schools and development projects. Even in the midst of my busyness, the setting up of interviews and filming B rolls, I couldn’t help but notice the respect Zambians have for The Salvation Army. They know the amount of development work that the Army is doing in the country, and they respect that. Changing Lives While the team was overseas, the COVID-19 pandemic overtook our plans and we realized that it was time to get home before the world shut down. We managed to accomplish
everything on our to-do list and returned safe and sound. I was safe. Sound? It’s one thing to read and hear about the work The Salvation Army is doing internationally, but quite another to actually see it with one’s own eyes and witness the impact being made. On a deeper level, the trip changed my appreciation of things I had taken for granted. For instance, clean water for me was just an everyday part of life. But in Zambia, water is a matter of life or death, and the Army’s cleanwater initiatives are changing lives for the better in rural communities across the country. My trip to Zambia is something I’ll never forget, especially when I think about the impact the Army has there. It makes me proud and happy to realize that The Salvation Army is helping people who need help all around the world. Object of Attention Students in Chikankata, Zambia, watch Aaron as he films
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Faith&Friends
SOMEONE CARES
Supplying Hope Salvation Army back-toschool program draws community support. by Janice Keats
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hen Lieutenant Shelley Oseil of The Salvation Army in Dartmouth, N.S., launched her first back-toschool initiative in 2017, little did she realize the response she’d receive. Welcome Support Recognizing the need for back-toschool essentials, she reached out to the community. “I contacted the police department asking if they could support a back-to-school program by allowing a police car to be filled with school
School-Ready Donations displayed and ready to distribute
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Distribution Day Families receive backpacks and school supplies
supplies,” she says. Management at the local Staples store gave permission to use a section of the parking lot for the campaign. There was ample space for all community vehicles that were involved. “By the second year, there were four police officers and two radio stations present, as well as the Salvation Army community response vehicle,” Lieutenant Shelley recalls, and the program has continued to grow. The patrons of Staples are very generous, with many of them inten-
tionally purchasing and placing school supplies in the police cars as they exit the premises. “Some of them had heard the announcement on the radio so they came to offer support even though they themselves did not have schoolaged children,” Lieutenant Shelley says. Needed Assistance The donated supplies are sorted at The Salvation Army Dartmouth Community Church and placed in backpacks to be given away on distribution day. Many volunteers come out to help with the set-up and distribution of the backpacks, and the community response unit is on site offering refreshments. Lieutenant Shelley is always excited and pleased with the response, which shows on the faces of the parents and children who receive the school supplies each year. “We are planning to hold the backto-school event this year, but we’re unsure what distribution will look like due to the COVID-19 pandemic,”
reports Lieutenant Shelley. “We look forward to again partnering with Staples as they have chosen to make The Salvation Army their main benefactor for donations of back-to-school supplies. And with the relocation of our facilities to a larger community, we anticipate an increase in the number of families needing assistance,” she concludes.
Come and Get It Volunteer Tom Banfield serves lunch from the community response vehicle
(left) Janice Keats is the emergency and disaster services coordinator at The Salvation Army’s divisional headquarters in Halifax.
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Faith&Friends
FAITH BUILDERS
A Writer’s Life The Personal History of David Copperfield looks at Charles Dickens’ masterpiece with fresh eyes.
Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate UK/Searchlight Pictures
D
by Ken Ramstead
avid Copperfield is widely considered to be Charles Dickens’ masterpiece. Adapted numerous times for stage and radio, it’s also been made into a film or TV version more than a dozen times. Why would anyone ever consider tackling this 1850 novel again? “I grew up as a huge fan of Dickens,” director Armando Iannucci says. “People have him down as this longwinded Victorian novelist. But he’s also very magical. I’ve always admired how he uses comedy to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, but then uses that platform to deal with challenging issues. Like, say, factory conditions, poverty or homelessness.” Iannucci’s take, The Personal History of David Copperfield, is only in wide release now. Delayed due to COVID-19, it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019. Audiences were favourably impressed, but the ultimate compliment came when the Dickens family invited the director to a supper in his honour to celebrate the author’s legacy and for preserving the spirit of the novel.
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A Shot of Optimism In the movie, as in the novel, the goodhearted David Copperfield (Dev Patel) sets out to be a writer. On the way, he meets an array of friends and enemies as he pursues family, love and position. Despite obstacles thrown in his path by antagonists such as his stepfather, Edward Murdstone (Darren Boyd), and Uriah Heep (Ben Whishaw), the villainous clerk who almost ruins David’s Aunt Betsey (Tilda Swinton), David never gives in to despair. He’s determined to look at people and life in the best possible light, as seen in his care of his aunt. “It’s what I wanted to celebrate,” says Iannucci. “The Personal History of David Copperfield celebrates community, friendship and kindness.” It’s just the shot of optimism we need in the middle of a pandemic. Charles Dickens was never afraid to speak truth to power, and David Copperfield tackled issues such as the quality of schools, the status of women and the criminal justice system, issues The Salvation Army has always held dear.
BUILDING STRONGER COMMUNITIES TOGETHER 2019 – 2020
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We do this together through the support of:
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Faith&Friends
From ABCs and 123s to DIYs and TLCs HOME-SCHOOLING MAY NOT BE AS DAUNTING AS YOU THINK. JUST ASK SUE AND GEORGE. by Helena Smrcek
D
uring the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of parents were faced with school closures. Suddenly, their children’s education became their responsibility. “I can’t be their mother and teacher at the same time,” said a friend of mine, overwhelmed and exasperated. How could I help? And then I thought of Sue and George. 12 • SEPTEMBER 2020 I faithandfriends.ca
No Degree Required Faced with a major life transition, the couple decided not to enrol their children in school until they found a permanent home. Sue would home-school. “For one year, at the most,” she says, “but we loved it so much, no one wanted to go to school.” Racheal was in Grade 4, John in Grade 2, Meghan in kindergarten and Lora in pre-
school. Today, their daughters hold graduate degrees, and John works in the family business. “Our typical day?” Sue’s memories go back a decade or two. “Breakfast at 8:30 a.m., school at nine. The kids would be done at 11. You can get six hours of school done in two, because you see immediately if your child understands the concept or not, and you are there to help.” Sue holds a bachelor of science and physiotherapy. “But that doesn’t matter. A parent doesn’t need a degree to do this,” she adds. “Perhaps high school, if I didn’t understand, I’d send them to school, but up to Grade 6, any adult should be able to teach their children.” Flexible Teaching Curriculum makes all the difference. “First, I taught them to read, but once they knew how, the only time I taught them was when they said; ‘Mom, I don’t get this.’ ” The family did not jump into home-schooling, hoping for the best. “I made a schedule for the entire year,” Sue continues. “Two hundred days for each child, for each subject.” The lesson plans were placed at the front of their binders. This gave the home-schoolers the freedom to do any subject they chose. If they wanted to do all their math on Monday, they could. The only rule was that everything had to be done by Friday. “We taught them independence, responsibility and
self-discipline,” explains Sue. “It was up to them to finish their work. If they didn’t, they couldn’t participate in a fun activity on Friday afternoon, until they completed all their lessons.” Knowing the children’s learning styles gives home-schooling parents a definite advantage. “John was so active as a boy,” Sue recalls. “The girls would sit and study.” But it wasn’t the same for him. “When I saw he was getting frustrated, I would let him go outside for 10 to 15 minutes, then I’d call him in. It worked.” A Fair Shake But home-schooling goes far beyond math and science. Social development is a huge part of education. Sue had read Growing Kids God’s Way, by authors Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, which talked about firsttime obedience, which means a child obeys a parent’s instruction the first time, no questions asked. She discussed the idea with her husband, and they put it to practice. “Because we expected first-time obedience, it was up to me and George never to exhaust them, agitate them or treat them unfairly.” This made it easy on the kids, as the family developed an extraordinary level of mutual respect. “I can’t take credit for any of this,” Sue says. “This is all God’s grace. He put the right people in my path. “Life skills are so important,” she adds. “Everyone had chores. We took turns and kept it fair. faithandfriends.ca I SEPTEMBER 2020
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FEATURE
“It’s all about give and take, balancing work and play, but most of all it is about love.” SUE And the children learned.” Lifetime Lessons Sue’s advice for parents considering home-schooling? · Schedule your day. “Get the kids involved. Ask what they would like to do after they have finished the work. Make it special and rewarding. Lora loved art and therefore we enrolled her in advanced art classes.”
Simple principles such as “We take good care of things that God has given us” or “Love your neighbour as yourself” will stay with your children for a lifetime, just as math, reading and writing. Home-schooling isn’t only about homework and good grades; it’s about nurturing the next generation, fostering social skills and coaching children as they grow into godly people who are ready to do good in this world.
OH MY WORD!
© J.Sanko/C. Layton, 2020
by John Sanko
· Incorporate life skills into learning. “Teach the kids to make beds and clean their room. Take the time to learn together. As a parent, explore that world. This is an amazing time to bond with your children.”
· Be fair. “Never favour one child over the other. Children have a great sense of justice; do not exasperate them. It’s all about give and take, balancing work and play, but most of all it is about love.”
Jesus: I have come to ‘REDEEM.’ Vendor: We don’t accept coupons anymore.
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Volunteer Gives Back
MEETING NEEDS P.8
Helping Schoolkids
Go Ahead
FOOD FOR THOUGHT P.10
SMILE! P.26
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faithandfriends.ca
SEPTEMBER 2019
Faith & Friends Wins Big
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Come From Away
BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE SMASH BROADWAY MUSICAL. P.16
Au bord du précipice
L’amour n’a pas d’âge
UN APPEL À L’AIDE p. 4
ÉPOUSE-MOI? p. 10
Foi&Vie POUR MIEUX VIVRE
armeedusalut.ca
FÉVRIER 2019
MALGRÉ LES MILLIERS DE KILOMÈTRES QUI LES SÉPARAIENT, L’AMOUR LES A UNIS. p. 6
Des Bermudes aux Fidji What to Do When Holidays Are Difficult
How to Livestream Your Worship Service
General Brian Peddle: “Spread the Word!”
THE VOICE OF THE ARMY
December 2019
Salvationist.ca
Joy to the World Sharing the good news at Christmas
he Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory’s magazines, website (Salvationist.ca) and digital media came away with 18 awards at the annual Canadian Christian Communicators Association ceremony this summer. The CCCA (formerly the Canadian Church Press) includes representatives from 60 member publications, including mainline, Catholic and evangelical churches, and the awards are judged by accomplished journalists and academics from the media. Faith & Friends received eight awards for articles published in 2019. Major Jennifer Hale’s article in the June issue, Seeing Things, won first place in the Biblical Interpretation category. Kristin Ostensen’s interview with figure skating legends Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir in March secured second place, as did our November front cover, Faith On High, and Dennis Jones’ artwork in the same issue. Tim Boyle’s stunning photograph of tightrope walker Nik Wallenda in January and Linda Leigh’s Help After the Hurricane in February both secured third-place nods. The September Faith & Friends took home an Honourable Mention for Edition Layout and Design and, most importantly, our little magazine took home first place in the coveted General Excellence category, a first for Faith & Friends. Foi & Vie, the French Canadian version of Faith & Friends, received second place for its February cover and our sister magazine, Salvationist, won six awards. Salvationist.ca and our digital media received three awards, including a first place in the Use of Social Media category. Check out all of our winning entries online. faithandfriends.ca I SEPTEMBER 2020
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COVER STORY
One Strand at a Time WITH THE HELP OF THE SALVATION ARMY, HUMAN-TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR VICTORIA MORRISON IS PUTTING HER LIFE BACK TOGETHER. by Shannon Wise LOOKING AT VICTORIA Morrison now, you would never know she fell victim to human trafficking. She is as strong and confident as they come—living proof that you can take your life back and transform despite your circumstances. Victoria is articulate, poised and resilient. It’s because of her powerful traits that Victoria has been able to help other victims. But there was a time when she was a victim herself. 16 • SEPTEMBER 2020 I faithandfriends.ca
Speaking Out Victoria Morrison shares her story at The Salvation Army’s annual Hope in the City breakfast in Winnipeg last fall
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COVER STORY
Photos: Mark Spowart
Faith&Friends
With just the clothes on her back, stained with her own blood, Victoria didn’t look back. A victim of human trafficking who had been forced into prostitution, she had endured one brutal beating too many. Now, her survival instincts kicked in. She phoned a sex buyer to ask if he could drop her off a pack of cigarettes. When Victoria walked out to the curb to meet him, she opened the front door of the vehicle and 18 • SEPTEMBER 2020 I faithandfriends.ca
Living Witness “You can rebuild your life,” Victoria says. “There are a lot of supports—you don’t have to do it alone”
realized this was her chance to escape. “Take me to a police station,” she pleaded as they sped off. The Will to Survive Victoria had a happy childhood and was a straight-A student. Fast forward to her mid 20s, Victoria was
A man she thought was her boyfriend became her trafficker— and Victoria sank deeper into addiction. working at a strip club and deep in the midst of her addiction. How could that happen? “I was in first-year university and I was enjoying it,” she says, “but I became friends with someone who worked as a dancer at a strip club. I thought I could pay my way through school and work nights at the same time. But eventually I was drinking at night and too tired to go to school in the daytime, so my grades slipped.” Victoria thought she could take a year off school and save up some money, but she soon got caught up in the lifestyle that comes with that environment. “Mostly cocaine, sometimes pain pills, drinking,” says Victoria. She then started dating a man she met through mutual friends. “He was really nice at first—they all are.” It was a perfect match. She was addicted to drugs and he was dealing drugs. In the spring of 2018, he forced her to move to Winnipeg,
threatening her family and friends if she didn’t. A man she thought was her boyfriend became her trafficker—and Victoria sank deeper into addiction. “I couldn’t do what he made me do sober,” she explains. “Being high was a way to deal with it.” Victoria endured unthinkable violence at the hands of her trafficker, violence almost too disturbing to print; she was electrocuted, choked, struck with a metal pole and suffered a broken nose. Victoria’s spirit was completely broken. Oftentimes, she thought, I’m going to die here. “I kept thinking, If there is a God, I swear I will use my life to do good.” Three and a half months after she was forced into prostitution, she saw a chance to escape—and had the extraordinary courage to do so. “I left everything—no money, no ID. I didn’t care. I was free.” From One Survivor to Another Victoria spent five days in the hospital where she discovered her faithandfriends.ca I SEPTEMBER 2020
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kidneys were failing because of the beatings she’d endured. That was where she met Alice (not her real name), a correctional and justice services worker with The Salvation Army in Winnipeg. “I received a call from the local police and was told there was a young woman who had escaped her trafficker with only the clothes on her back.” Alice packed a gym bag with some clothes, hygiene products and thoughtfully selected items “so she wasn’t going home so broken.” When Alice arrived at the hospital, Victoria was in a wheelchair and could barely move to take a shower. Alice told Victoria she was employed by The Salvation Army
Helping Others Victoria speaks regularly about her past, her struggle with addiction and the trauma she suffered
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and talked to her about her past and her own struggle with addiction. “I’ve been where you are,” Alice told her. “I’ve been exploited, and I know what it’s like to be controlled by a substance.” A Piece of Her Heart The extent of Victoria’s injuries was so severe that she couldn’t even lift her arm to wash her own hair. After sharing stories with one another, a bond was formed. It was then that Alice performed an act as touching as it was simple. “She brushed my matted hair,” Victoria says. “I put conditioner in her hair and worked out each knot, showing her I cared,” Alice says.
The Scourge of Human Trafficking Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery. It’s a multi-billion-dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to an estimated 40.3 million people around the world. Within this estimation, 20.9 million people are forced into different forms of labour and sex trafficking. Canada is not immune to this. No matter where we live in Canada, chances are it’s happening nearby—from the young girl deceived to sell her body out of a hotel room to the man picking fruit on a farm in deplorable, exploitative conditions to the woman working in the restaurant deprived access to her passport and without dignity. It is important that every caring person is aware of this injustice and is able to recognize warning signs of possible human-trafficking situations. Here are a few warning signs that someone may be a potential victim of human trafficking. Although the presence or absence of any of these indicators neither proves nor disproves that human trafficking is taking place, the presence of multiple indicators should be cause for notice.
Victoria was surprised and appreciative when Alice offered to comb it out. “I will never forget that as long as I live.” The Salvation Army arranged for Victoria’s flight back home, where she was reunited with her mother and sister. Victoria boarded
• Being controlled by others, driven to and from locations and escorted at all times; • Being controlled and watched by others, having someone speak for them in public; • Not having a passport or other forms of ID in their possession; • Not having control of their own money or cellphone; may have more than one cellphone in their possession; • Not being familiar with the neighbourhood they live or work in; • Being moved frequently; claim to be “new” or “just visiting”; • Not being allowed to contact family or friends; • Lying about age/false ID; • Providing scripted or rehearsed answers to casual questions; • May be in possession of excess cash outside their financial means and have hotel keys. (Source: Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking) If you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, call Canada’s National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.
the flight with the only tangible item to her name—the gym bag Alice gave her when they first met. “When she got on the airplane and went home, a little piece of my heart went with her—or maybe a piece of her stayed in my heart,” says Alice. faithandfriends.ca I SEPTEMBER 2020
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“ I kept thinking, If there is a God, I swear I will use my life to do good.”
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Sharing Her Story Like the hairbrush used to untangle her matted hair just a few months earlier, Victoria began putting her life back together, one strand at a time. In October 2018, Victoria graduated with honours from a charitable organization that provides programs and services to women who are battling substance misuse. Now sober and thriving, the 27-year-old is working for a property management company and has her own apartment. “I’ve never had my own place until now.” Victoria speaks regularly about her past, her struggle with addiction and the trauma she suffered. Her motivation? To educate people. In fact, she spoke at The Salvation Army’s annual Hope in the City breakfast in Winnipeg last fall. The Salvation Army invited her to be their keynote speaker and share her story in front of 400 people. Victoria now assists other human-trafficking survivors, facilitating meetings and creating a solid community of support. Her goal is to begin a social work degree at a Canadian university this month. “You can rebuild your life,” Victoria says. “There are a lot of supports—you don’t have to do it alone.”
Faith&Friends
FEATURE
In His Hands
IN SPITE OF BEING DIAGNOSED WITH A RARE ILLNESS, CINDY MOORE EXPERIENCED GOD’S LOVE IN A WAY SHE NEVER HAD BEFORE. by Ken Ramstead Time to Recharge Cindy Moore on a brief visit to the family cottage
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ou think you’re having a bad day? Cindy Moore can relate. She is not only dealing with an illness with no cure, her time is spent dealing with a myriad of medical procedures, such as treatment for pain, intestinal problems and consistent nausea. Due to Cindy’s medical conditions, she’s not able to eat anything and is fed through total parenteral nutrition (TPN) using an IV each night. “This past week, I had another procedure. It’s another bag and dressing that I need to deal with. I was also told by my palliative care doctor that I need to carry around a pump with me 24-7 to help with the pain.
“It hit me as a nurse was putting on the pump. She asked me, ‘How does it feel to look at this and know it’s going to be attached to you for the rest of your life?’ Strong words to hear. I went to bed, blown away with how much my life has changed in such little time. “To top it off,” she continues, “I was told by my insurance company that I’m never allowed to go back to work: my illness is too severe and complex. My job was amazing and the people there were extremely supportive. I will miss them a ton!” But instead of wallowing in pity, Cindy goes on to say, “I do believe in miracles. And although I have bad faithandfriends.ca I SEPTEMBER 2020
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“I do believe in miracles.” CINDY MOORE days every now and then, I will continue to keep the faith and turn my eyes to the only One who knows what tomorrow brings.” Counting Her Blessings “Four years ago,” Cindy says, “I could eat anything, I was able to work and enjoy my job at North York General Hospital’s ICU. I was healthy.” But after a series of health concerns drove her weight down to 80 pounds, she was finally diagnosed with visceral myopathy, a rare pathological condition characterized by impaired intestinal function and motility. It affects the smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal tract and sometimes the urinary tract and has already resulted in the removal of her colon. She has a support team of 14 doctors as well as family and members of her church. In the evenings, friends keep her company until a nurse hooks up her last IV of the day, then they walk Spencer, Cindy’s little dog and her faithful companion. “It’s crazy to get your head around,” Cindy says. “It’s a 24-hour job keeping up with my health, all my dressing changes, medications and communication with 14 doctors. 24 • SEPTEMBER 2020 I faithandfriends.ca
“I’m positive considering everything that’s going on because I can’t just focus on the negative. It’s not going to do me any good, physically or emotionally, so I just try to count my blessings.” Living in the Moment “I’ve been a Christian my whole life, and a Salvation Army member for most of that,” Cindy says. “When my brother, Rob, was five years old,” she explains, “he saw the yellow school bus going by for Sunday school at Agincourt Temple Community Church in Toronto. He wanted to go on the bus—so that’s how I started going to church!” Cindy now attends The Salvation Army’s Oshawa Temple in Ontario. “I know I have people who are interceding for me in prayer, when I’m too exhausted to pray myself.” But they can only do so much. “God’s been carrying me through,” Cindy says. “I can’t predict what tomorrow brings, so I’m just taking it day by day. I have to live in the moment.” A Difficult Journey While there is no cure for visceral myopathy, the one hope for Cindy
might be a multi-organ transplant. Ironically, her liver would have to fail for her to get on a transplant list, but if she did, she’d receive a large colon, small intestine, stomach, pancreas and perhaps a spleen. “Sometimes I feel bad when people ask about my story,” Cindy says. “It’s not a story with a miracle in the end, or a story about healing. “My story is about a God that is carrying me along a very difficult road. The rest of my journey is up to
Him. It might end up with a miracle, or it might not. “I’ve always had a deep faith but it took something like this for me to realize the power of God’s love. Nothing can help me like my faith in God, and the love that He has for me. That’s really what’s been carrying me through. It’s really indescribable. “I’m not worried about what tomorrow may bring. God has me in the palm of His hand.”
Welcome Treat Cindy gets a visit from her therapy dog, Spencer, at North York General Hospital faithandfriends.ca I SEPTEMBER 2020
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COMMON GROUND
Nickel-andDiming It Angila Holden and her four grandchildren are helping The Salvation Army during the time of COVID-19.
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ngila Holden has taught her grandchildren well. For more than two years, Zander, two, Ethan, four, eight-year-old Braysen and 11-year-old Tyson have been collecting their nickels and dimes and donating them to a worthy cause of their choice. “They don’t spend their spare change, even when they sell something online or they get money for chores,” Angila says. “When they receive their allowance, they’ll buy a toy or a treat but they’ll give me the change. My grandkids know the dimes and nickels we collect are for a charity—to help others. “I am trying to show them,” she explains, “that giving is better than receiving.” As a result, the grandchildren have
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Photo: Gwyneth Woods
by Ken Ramstead
Milk Run Angila Holden and her four grandchildren (clockwise from top left) Zander, Ethan, Tyson and Braysen, have raised money to provide milk for The Salvation Army’s community and family services in Listowel, Ont.
donated between $50 and $100 a year. Milk Run This spring, with the onset of COVID-19, Angila gathered the children together. “I explained to them what was going on now, in Canada and around the world. A lot of people are out of work and many families aren’t as fortunate as we are. I proposed we donate milk to the Salvation
Army food bank, and the grandkids thought that was an awesome idea,” she says. While Angila has taken time off work to care for her grandchildren—one of whom is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to a medical condition—she contacted her manager and assistant manager at Walmart, and they suggested
“I believe in giving back to the community, and no one does more for the community than The Salvation Army,” she says. “My grandkids understand that, too.” “What we do is about more than just a bag of food,” says Gwyneth. “We strive to be a haven in our community, a place of comfort and an encouragement to our guests. What
“I believe in giving back to the community, and no one does more for the community than The Salvation Army.” ANGILA HOLDEN gift cards that would go toward the purchase of milk. Angila e-transferred the money to Walmart, then she contacted Gwyneth Woods, the community and family services manager at The Salvation Army in Listowel, Ont., who was thrilled to receive the donated gift cards. “How incredibly thoughtful of you to take the time to do what you did,” Gwyneth emailed the boys. “Rest assured that this will be used to help people in the community and kids just like you.” Saving to Give Again Angila was gratified with the grandchildren’s decision.
a blessing to see people not only move forward, but to give back and then to teach their children to do the same, like Angila has done.” And The Salvation Army has also helped Angila and her family, when they needed help. “The Army has always been there for me,” says Angila. “Gwyneth has helped me, and if I ever need to talk, she’s there.” While many families in the community now have milk thanks to Zander, Ethan, Braysen and Tyson, their job is not complete as far as they are concerned. “They’re already saving to give again,” smiles Angila.
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LITE STUFF
Eating Healthy With Erin MEXICAN-STYLE POWER BOWL
Recipe photos: Erin Stanley
TIME 40 mins MAKES 4 servings SERVE WITH creamy lime cilantro dip
250 ml (1 cup) uncooked quinoa 425 ml (1¾ cups) water 5 ml (1 tsp) olive oil 2 ml (½ tsp) salt 30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil 60 ml (¼ cup) onion, diced 1 garlic clove, minced 250 ml (1 cup) green pepper 250 ml (1 cup) red pepper 250 ml (1 cup) diced kale or spinach 5 ml (1 tsp) chili powder 2 ml (½ tsp) cumin 1 ml (¼ tsp) paprika 5 ml (1 tsp) lime juice 500 ml (2 cups) refried beans 250 ml (1 cup) corn paprika to garnish 1 avocado, sliced 125 ml (½ cup) cherry tomatoes, diced
1. Rinse quinoa in fine mesh strainer under cool water and allow to drain. 2. Place water and olive oil in pot and bring to rolling boil. Add quinoa and salt. Lower heat to simmer, cover with lid and allow to cook for 15 minutes. 3. Remove from heat and allow to stand covered for 3 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with fork and allow to stand 5 more minutes. 4. Heat vegetable oil in pan over medium heat and add diced onion and minced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until fragrant. Add diced peppers, kale or spinach and spices, and cook for 5 minutes or until peppers are soft. Squeeze lime over top, stir and set pan aside. 5. Pan-fry refried beans and corn in separate pans until warm. Add a pinch of paprika for garnish. 6. Assemble bowl and add avocado and cherry tomatoes.
CREAMY LIME CILANTRO DIP TIME 3 mins MAKES 5 servings SERVE WITH tortilla chips
250 ml (1 cup) sour cream or full-fat plain Greek yogurt 250 ml (1 cup) cilantro 10 ml (2 tsp) lime juice Salt and pepper to taste
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1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Joy Rediscovered
GOD’S WAY P.5
Matchbox Love
ONE OF A KIND P.8
From History to Hip Hop
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Faith&Friends I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G
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AUGUST 2020
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Front-Line Chaplain JULIANE MARTIN SEES FAITH WITH NEW EYES. P.12
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Sudoku Puzzle
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 × 3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
5 5 8
QUICK QUIZ 1. Who won the best supporting actor Oscar for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? 2. How many countries are on the continent of North America? 3. How long a period of time is a quadricentennial?
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© www.kevinfrank.net
HEAVEN’S LOVE THRIFT SHOP by Kevin Frank
Answers on next page.
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Word Search Our Best Friends N E D L O G W S Y C U E I L L O C V K P H X W E I R I S H S E T T E R I M O O X P R K G P D R I C L I O J Z V M Q K O M N F S N N R H Y G I I S G E S E N A V A H A M F O U M A G L W R F H N N C U P L N N W P A T E A H A E O I S D S A D R O C W L H G B I N J A J H R N N N I H H U T R U R P I E V T E T U U U A C O N E M P A P A Y B K P O Z G O C I W A S G N D E N I C O H Y U U F H B T X E O A O T W O O Y E J R D W P D Y A A D H R S C D E M R S S E E A B O N M L G Q Z L R H Y D B E R N E S E O K L F X E G P E K I N G E S E C D A L U A N B A E U D D N U O H T E S S A B I D D N U O H K L E F F I T S A M Y Q J E I T S E W K R E I R R E T N I O P AFGHAN BASSET HOUND BEAGLE BERNESE BICHON FRISE BLOODHOUND BULLDOG CAIRN CHIHUAHUA CHOW CHOW COCKER SPANIEL COLLIE
DALMATIAN ELKHOUND GERMAN SHEPHERD GOLDEN GREAT DANE GREAT PYRENEES GREYHOUND HAVANESE IRISH SETTER JONANGI LABRADOR MALTESE
MASTIFF NEWFOUNDLAND PEKINGESE POINTER POMERANIAN POODLE PUG SHIH TZU TERRIER VIZSLA WESTIE WHIPPET
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Quick Quiz Answers: 1. Brad Pitt; 2. 23; 3. 400 years. 3
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Faith&Friends
NIFTY THRIFTY
A Class Act Get back to school in fashion. September signals the return of back-to-school shopping trips. Invest in a whole new-to-you wardrobe without making a major financial investment by keeping these three tips in mind on the next trip to your local Salvation Army thrift store. Find the Perfect Pair of Jeans Jeans are the timeless staple of any backto-school wardrobe, from skirts to pants, skinny to boot-cut. Be sure to check sizes both up and down from your usual, as different brands and vintages are sized differently. Incorporate the Loungewear Trend Sweatpants and track pants remain as popular as ever. Make this trend work for you by finding
a structured, tapered pair for a comfortable yet polished look that will make studying a breeze. Top It Off With Layers Layering is chic and functional. Cardigans and light jackets are must-have layering pieces to easily adjust to fluctuating fall temperatures. Try a cardigan with jeans for a more traditional look, or a denim jacket with track pants to follow the loungewear trend. Back-to-school shopping is perfectly suited for your local Salvation Army thrift store. You can find a wide range of items, sizes and styles at affordable prices to make this tradition fun and budgetfriendly. See you at the thrift store!
(left) May Strutt is an avid thrifter with more than a decade of shopping experience in thrift stores across Canada. She is also a communications and engagement specialist with The Salvation Army’s thrift stores. Find a thrift store near you at thriftstore.ca.
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