ShareLife Campaign: Message from the Executive Director

From Arthur Peters, Executive Director: Dear friends, it has been said that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety, but human connection. What, then, has this meant for people with addictions during COVID? St. Michael's Homes, an agency funded by your gift to ShareLife, has seen firsthand how the stress and isolation of the pandemic has affected the men with addictions they serve. Many individuals were already experiencing unemployment, food and housing insecurities, and other mental illnesses. 

The agency understood that adapting their recovery groups to connect clients virtually was a life-or-death initiative: in the first six months of the pandemic, 1,237 people died of opioid-related causes in Ontario, compared to 766 in the six months prior. St. Michael's Homes also maintains a list of isolated clients they check in on weekly by phone or video. One of these men, Aaron, was crying as he picked up the phone. He said he was so lonely, and the weekly call was the one thing he looked forward to. After receiving comfort and reassurance, Aaron was able to calm down and talk about the positive things in his life. A simple 10-minute call was all it took to let him know he was not alone and that he had a community that cared about him. 

This is the kind of lifesaving support you provide through your gift to ShareLife. Please give generously during the ShareLife Parish Campaign, so that more people like Aaron make it safely through this pandemic, ready to build a better future. 

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Thank you to those who have contributed to St. Brigid's annual appeal. If you have not yet done so, you are invited to reflect on your ability to help those in need and make a sacrificial gift to help those who turn to our agencies for help. So far, we have raised $11,686.00 toward our goal of $27,500. 

The next ShareLife collection will be taking place on October 2nd and 3rd. Please continue to give generously.