Last night I had the privilege of listening to speeches given by Terry Blizzard and Frank O'Dea in support of Gentle Path Counselling Services. Both men rose above their circumstances to be role models in Canada. Terry founded Afterburn Performance and Frank co-founded Second Cup. Here are a few tidbits about Terry and Frank:
No single coping technique will take all the pain away.
Try anyway.
Maggie
- Accomplished Communicators: Frank wrote the book When All You Have Is Hope, an excellent read on reaching out and holding on to coping skills. Both Frank and Terry provide speeches with insight into resilience and determination.
- History of Homelessness: At a young age Frank found himself homeless. His family was falling apart around Frank's disconnected life. He worked from job to job. When he lost job after job, he panhandled for enough money to buy alcohol for the night. Terry, in serious financial hardship, slept on the couch of his gym because he could not afford an apartment.
- Accepted help: When Frank was low beyond low, he was given a dime which he used to contact Alcoholics Anonymous. His perspective was to live without alcohol or die with alcohol. Terry accepted a $5000 loan from a friend who believed Terry could do something wonderful with the money. He did.
- Offer help: Both Terry and Frank give back, knowing how important it is to accept help. For example, Frank co-founded Street Kids International, an organization developed to help homeless children in third world countries, through education and self-reliance programs. Terry is out in the community, driving his story and supporting others.
- Live and breath their mantras: Words like hope, vision and action thread through both of their lives. They drive home the importance of acting together. There is no excuse for communities to lose hope. If they can drag themselves out of the gutter, anyone can.
No single coping technique will take all the pain away.
Try anyway.
Maggie
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