Hope and Healing

It was a situation Adam never expected to be in. The cupboards were empty, and for the first time in his life, he didn’t know how he was going to feed his kids.

A family medical emergency had forced him to leave his job and move to Hamilton from Western Canada. With the rest of their family and support system thousands of kilometers away, he, his wife, and his children were on their own.

His eldest son had been diagnosed with a serious health condition that required frequent visits to a specialist, and McMaster Children’s Hospital was one of three treatment centres in the world that could provide his son’s treatment. Adam began searching for work in Hamilton, but the regular visits to the hospital and his son’s constant need for care made that difficult, and the bills started piling up. With no money left at the end of the month and hungry, growing children, he was referred to the Good Food Centre at Mission Services.

“I had called a few other agencies, and they said ‘I’m sorry, we’re too full,’ so when I called Mission Services, and they said that they would help us. It was an amazing feeling.”

From the first time Adam stepped inside the Good Food Centre, he felt care and support. It was a new experience for him, and he was thankful that someone was willing to help.

“I was so happy to know that we had people who were willing to help us in our difficult time. I’d never used a food bank before. For someone in a bad situation, it’s a huge comfort to have someone guide you through an unfamiliar place and help make it better.”

Staff at the Good Food Centre not only provided Adam and his family with food, but were also able to help him understand some of the differences between his small town and the big city.

“My town didn’t have public transit, so I’d never taken a bus before in my life. When we got here, we didn’t have a car, so we had been relying on taxis. I didn’t know how to navigate the bus system until they explained it to me, now I use it every day.”

Adam was eventually able to find a steady job, and now takes the bus to work each day. His son’s condition has been successfully treated at McMaster, and his family is starting to regain some of the stability that they once knew so well.

“To have to restart from zero and achieve stability again, it takes time, but I thank God that we are okay now,” he said. “I used to be the one that was able to help other people, but when I was suddenly the one who needed help, Mission Services was there.”

Offering a variety of services is part of Mission Services’ full circle of care, ensuring the clients are leaving with not just a basket of groceries, but also essential supports and resources to improve their lives and help them thrive.

“We want to make as many resources available as possible,” said Sue, Director of Food Services. “It’s not just giving out food, it’s a surround support system focusing on helping people get through difficult times.”

With the number of first-time food bank users on the rise, Sue says it’s important to ensure that Mission Services is an open, welcoming environment, no matter what challenging circumstances people are currently facing.

“Staff at the Good Food Centre do their best to reduce barriers and meet clients where they are at,” she said. “Whether that’s referrals to the local dental bus or information about applying for government assistance programs, we try to provide resources and alternatives that benefit positive outcomes as well as healthy and nutritious food.

Your gifts help Mission Services provide life-changing resources for people like Adam. Visit mission-services.com/donate or call 905-528-4211 ext 3113 to make a difference in lives today.