SOYA's Family Matters conference featured three speakers who have all lived through addiction, went through treatment and are now giving back to the community
Three speakers, each with experience living with addiction, offered some hard truths and hope at SOYA’s Family Matters conference, held Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Express.
In her remarks, SOYA founder Connie Raynor-Elliott said in the last year the non-profit offered 9,831 hot meals, distributed 8,246 food bags and assisted 136 people to get to treatment.“My dream for SOYA is to shut her down. I don’t want SOYA to be needed, I literally want SOYA to shut down,” she said.
Letting go has gone against everything she believes as a mother, but MacDonald said she has still not given up hope for her daughter. “That is what having adult addicted children is like. You’re never fully calm, you are always waiting for something to happen,” she added.“I go to my meetings and I do what I have to do to keep me well, because I have others in my family I have to continue on for. I have to stay strong for them — and for myself,” said MacDonald. “I deserve a little happiness, we don’t just cry at SOYA, I tell you. We have so much fun and we understand each other.
David Cartner, lead with the CMHA Downtown Ambassador program, shared his personal ‘rags to riches’ story with the audience. About seven years ago, Cartner moved back to the Sault to help take care of his aging parents, who have both since died. “Mine is screaming loud ring, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Legare. “I wanted to kill myself, but it actually gave me permission to use more because I though I can’t live like this.”
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