Charity gives hope, meaning to Winnipeggers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/10/2017 (2984 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 

William Gault had nowhere to go in the spring of 2011. 

 

Left unemployed due to alcohol and drug addiction, he was wandering the streets one night with nowhere to go for shelter. It was after 9:30 p.m. when the former peace officer found the courage to ask a Siloam Mission staffer, who was standing outside, if the mission still had a bed available.

It was his lucky night — there was only a spare bed and, for that evening, Gault was no longer a wanderer.

“It was crucial. I always remember that having such an impact because I didn’t know where to go,” he told The Times, adding he stayed at Siloam Mission for three more weeks. 

“It played a significant role because it was free, it was accessible, and I remember the people being super-easy to talk to and there was no judging.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, what walk of life you come from, but the main thing is that the doors are open and I was able to stay here.”

Gault, now 39, went through a series of rehab sessions, and he credits Siloam Mission with giving him the initial hope that he could conquer his addiction and regain his independence.

“To know that you have a safe place, that the doors are open and that you have somewhere to eat, to try to get your life back and to see the impact that Siloam Mission is making is very humbling.”

Courtney Duke, Gault’s fiancée, also experienced the compassion of Siloam Mission’s volunteers when she was struggling with drug addiction. She recalls a Thanksgiving dinner at which she felt comforted and appreciated.

“You felt despair, and there were all these people cheering you up,” she commented. “I thought ‘Wow, this is a nice place.’”