When Life Exploded

Billy didn’t stand a chance. His father, both a drug addict and alcoholic, physically abused him, his siblings and his mother. At a young age he was forced to protect his mother from his father’s outbursts. He was the adult in this fragile home. He wasn’t loved or protected.

As a young teen, Billy found acceptance, friendship, and brotherhood in a biker gang. He assumed a new identity—Bear. Bear was tough. With a new-found confidence and community he abandoned all rules and authority. He became involved in organized crime. This was a small price to pay for the family he found in his biker gang. Then, his criminal involvement put him behind bars.

After serving time in prison, Bear left his biker gang to clean up his life. He became a father and highly invested in his daughter’s life. He fell in love and married. For two decades life was good.

In 2000 “life exploded,” says Bear. His daughter died in a tragic car accident. His mother passed away. He divorced his wife after he discovered she was cheating on him with one of his closest friends. In one year Bear lost all he had lived for.

Bear used drugs to ease his pain and quickly was addicted. He turned to The Salvation Army Harbour Light for help and successfully completed their drug-treatment program. He moved to Vancouver Island and stayed clean for the next five years.

During these five years, Bear suffered five heart attacks. Both his physical and mental health deteriorated. He refused to deal with the inner demons and deep emotions that initially lead him to drug use. Before long Bear reconnected with old friends and started using drugs again. He wanted to get clean and found himself back at The Salvation Army. This time he went to Belkin House in Vancouver.

Belkin House is a modern, residential program facility where the homeless, hungry and broken can find true peace and healing. After treatment for drug

addiction, Bear started a long-term treatment program consisting of holistic transformation. Through extensive counselling, a loving environment and lots of support from friendly staff, Bear rebuilt his life at Belkin House.

Bear experienced healing from the many painful events in his life. He gave up his street name, Bear, and reassumed his original name, Bill. After two years at Belkin House, he now lives on his own and The Salvation Army housing team is assisting him toward living in a long-term seniors’ residence.

Says Bill: “The Salvation Army didn’t give up on me. They gave me a second chance. They’ve helped me stay drug-free. I am on the right medication for my mental-health issues. I have lost weight. If you are willing to listen, you can learn a lot at Belkin house. It changed my life.” [ salvationarmy.ca ]

Whole Foods Market Shoppers Donate $1.8 Million to Empower the Poor

Each year, Whole Foods Market shoppers have the opportunity to donate at the registers and empower the poor through microcredit during the annual campaign. This year, the goal was to raise $1 million and customers donated $1.8 million – wow!, Whole Planet Foundation will now be able to reach impoverished communities in South America that supply Whole Foods Market stores with product. Last year, your donations enabled Whole Planet Foundation to fund microlending projects in Africa, supporting the very poor in Kenya and Ethiopia where Whole Foods Market sources coffee.   Every dollar goes a long way.

Micro-loans for Americans?

SAN FRANCISCO (Fortune) — When the economic downturn took hold last autumn, the management team at non-profit Kiva.org made a calculated bet to curb investment, anticipating that donors would slow the volume of small loans they make to entrepreneurs in the developing world. That slowdown never came. Now, the non-profit site is racing to keep up with user demand even while planning to bring its unique form of charity to the U.S.

Nearly 500,000 users have lent almost $65 million, interest-free, to developing-world entrepreneurs through Kiva.org. The nearly four-year-old site received a major boost during its early days from a wave of media publicity (including FORTUNE’s The only non profit that matters) and the very public endorsement by former President Bill Clinton.  More….

Helping: Microcredit program gives people chance to better their lives

Micro-credit programs throughout the world are a means of giving low-income, even very poor, families a way to earn their own money and work their way out of poverty.

These programs give small loans, or other financial services, for people who want to run their own small business, according to the Microcredit Summit Campaign. The organization reports repayment rates are strong, in part because peers offer support and pressure as borrowers are responsible for the success of each other.  More…

Italy to provide 40m euros for micro-credit

By Sajjad Malik in Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Italy will provide up to 40 million euros to Pakistan for the provision of micro-credit to the people living in areas bordering Afghanistan, including FATA, the NWFP and Balochistan, a senior Italian Foreign Ministry official said.

“We have decided to give 30 to 40 million euros to Pakistan to use the amount for granting micro-credit to the people,” Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry Development Expert Walter Zucconi said in an exclusive interview with Daily Times. Zucconi is on a weeklong visit to Pakistan to meet officials to discuss Italian proposals regarding assistance for poverty alleviation projects.

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