Over the past 40+ years, Teen Challenge Canada has successfully helped thousands of men and women find freedom from substance abuse. When the cycle of addiction is permanently broken, family relationships are restored and communities are strengthened!
Canada is facing an addiction crisis, that is dramatically affecting individuals, families and communities across our nation. As an example, sadly, 11,577 people ended their lives by suspected opioid overdoses between January 2016 and December 2018. That’s 11,577 people who will never hug their loved ones again. In a 2019 study, the Canadian Mental Health Association estimates that 1 in 5 Canadians will meet the criteria for addiction in their lifetime!
In these unprecedented times, we are profoundly grateful to the many who have supported the ministry of Teen Challenge Canada. It is through ongoing support that Teen Challenge is able to help those in addiction find freedom, rebuild relationships and restore their families.
Partnership in our vital mission — “To demonstrate God’s love by helping individuals become free from substance addiction and equipping them to live full and meaningful lives.” — has never been more important.
Most addicted men and women apply to Teen Challenge because they’ve tried everything else. They tried quitting drugs and alcohol on their own, they tried shorter rehab programs and even some have attempted suicide. But all who come to one of our centres across Canada, are desperate for hope and freedom from addiction.
I am reminded of Al, a Teen Challenge graduate, who came to Teen Challenge because he was a functioning alcoholic since his mid-20s. He and his wife worked hard all week and partied harder on the weekends. Life seemed good—until tragedy struck.
One night, Al and his wife smoked and drank until they collapsed into a drunken sleep. A neighbour called 911 when he noticed smoke pouring from their home. Al woke up just in time to escape the flames, but his wife, friend, and young daughter never made it out.
Living with the guilt of that tragic night, drove Al deeper into his addiction until finally he ended up homeless. Al’s younger sister urged Al to go to Teen Challenge, she helped him complete the application and he entered the program nine days later.
Shorter rehab programs don’t touch the kind of mental suffering that Al was experiencing. To stop numbing himself with drugs, Al needed deep healing to release his pain. That’s the kind of healing Teen Challenge offers to courageous men and women ready to rebuild their lives with God’s help.
“Teen Challenge changed my life—180 degrees,” says Al. “I can face life head on. I don’t have to bury it behind alcohol and drugs anymore.” Today, Al has reconnected with his surviving daughter and works at a job he loves. He also supports men as they enter and return from the Teen Challenge Alberta Men’s Centre program.
To see Al’s story and more like it, go to www.changedlives.ca
Thank you in advance for your decision to join us in one of our 2023 Golf Classics, as we raise the needed funds, enabling us to help all those who come through our doors, seeking freedom from substance addictions.
It is really as easy as contacting your family and friends to help raise your Golf Classic support through our online fundraising tool.
Plan to join us in a TC Golf Classic Event near you.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Glen Smeltzer
Teen Challenge Canada, CEO