Broken Lives Restored

Hannah’s Place, Siloam Mission’s emergency shelter, opened its doors on May 1, 2007, to Winnipeg’s homeless. Hannah’s Place is located on Princess Street in Winnipeg and offers a hundred emergency shelter beds to Winnipeg’s less fortunate. A woman who stayed at Hannah’s Place on the opening night, commented to shelter staff, “This was the best night’s sleep I have had in many months.”
Jack*, a solvent abuser, is often high. He visited our shelter a few weeks after it opened and asked for a place to stay. Siloam Mission is a dry shelter, and we have a firm rule of non-intoxication. I explained to Jack that we would love to have him but not in an intoxicated condition. Two days later, Jack returned. “I’m okay, I’m okay,” he said with a smile.
I knew he was clean and happily let him in. After Jack had a shower he requested one last item: a Bible. The next morning Jack volunteered to clean up the shelter with some others who had stayed overnight. Jack continues to spend some nights at the shelter. He has become cleaner and more talkative and is making positive changes. A new beginning!
At Siloam Mission we see many broken lives. We also see that brokenness is a way to create new beginnings and, every day, we see lives being restored and filled with new hope. Together we can help make change happen in the hearts of Winnipeg’s less fortunate.
Recently a volunteer asked if we could use some Bibles in our emergency shelter. I told her we could, and shortly after Christmas two cases of Bibles from LifeLight Ministries were dropped off. This blessing will be used with great appreciation. We have an area at our front desk where we have books and magazines for patrons to read before bedtime. They can return them or keep them if they wish. Included are these Bibles, and we are happy to tell them that they are welcome to take them and keep them.

Wayne Smith