What's Happening Now?

I wanted to talk a little more about Alpha House and what my plans are for my future.

First of all, I would like to take back a comment that I made about Alpha House in my earlier blog. I understand a lot more about what it is like to be a staff member working at Alpha House and they actually have a lot more patience with their clients then I gave them credit for. For this, I am truly sorry. I don’t think that I personally could handle some of the crap that they have to deal with day in and day out. The staffs actually do a wonderful job dealing with the clients that come into the shelter part of their system which I call intox. I will be talking about the Detox program shortly and about how wonderful the staff is there as well.

I would like to point out that I had said that the intox makes the DI look good and I was so wrong to say that. They are actually a lot better then the DI’s so called harm reduction program which is also for those drinking or using. For one thing, at least at Alpha House you have a mat to sleep on at any time you come into the shelter, where as during the day at the DI’s intox during the day you are only able to sleep on the floor without a mat. For this I am so grateful for the Alpha House for providing a mat so you don’t end up with the chill of a hard concrete floor. I think maybe the DI should at least consider making a change in that policy. I am sure they could get volunteers to clean mats. Considering that the DI has a lot more guest clients then Alpha House.

I would like to tell you that after I put the last blog on, I got into the Detox program the very next day and I can’t say enough good things about the wonderful staff that has helped me to start thinking about my life in a new way.

First I was asked to do an initial intake with one of the Detox staff by the name of Mark. He was actually quite pleasant and told me right off the bat that I would be able to relax a couple of days before having to take part in some of the programs and meetings that take place while in Detox. I will discuss these shortly. Mark actually took me for a walk around the unit which by the way is above the intox part of the shelter. He pointed out where the different resources were made available and basically made me feel very comfortable. I was also assigned to what I call a Resource Advisor whose responsibility was to monitor my progress while I was in Detox. The lovely people I was introduced to were Gwen and Alana. Both these ladies have been very professional in their job and have helped with my future plans for my life. These two ladies were the main people I have been dealing with while I stay here at Alpha House. I have also dealt with other casual workers as well as other full time staff that have been very kind in their approach to people such as myself that deal with addictions. All the staff including the staff from intox deserve a big pat on the back for there professionalism with people with addictions and I would recommend Alpha House as the place for any one that wants to deal with addiction issues. So, if you are a parent, a brother, a sister, a friend or an acquaintance of someone dear to you that are dealing with addictions, I would recommend you talking to an Alpha House staff member on how they can help.

The Detox has meetings held here as well as other various programs that clients in Detox are required to attend after there initial two days of rest. Not only that, clients are also to take part in daily chores. One of these chores is washing down and sterilizing mats in intox program every morning around nine thirty-ten o’clock. I realize that some of the clients don’t like to take part in this and they do whine about it but they really shouldn’t. It is a way of giving back to Alpha House for all the hard work that they do. Alpha House feeds the Detox clients very well and even provide snacks twice daily at three and nine PM. The food here is very nutritional and very good, I could never complain.

In closing I would like to make a couple of suggestions for Alpha House. Remember that I always like to be a critique and it is just my opinion. I feel that Alpha House Detox should actually have more addiction related type of meetings to make addicts understand more of what it is they are dealing with. They do have some of these in place as of present but I would recommend even more.

Please Alpha House, keep up with the wonderful job that you are doing for the homeless and addicted three hundred and sixty five days a year. You really are making a difference in a person’s life. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now for a little bit about what is happening in my life. I am number one on the waiting list to get back into the Canter of Hope Salvation Army addiction program and I hope to be in by the end of February. It will be an opportunity once again to get my life turned around and thanks to Alpha House they are making this possible.

In closing, my lawyer has now got the OK to serve the Red Deer school board to get the address of my Children’s mother and hopefully within the near future I will actually have the reality of seeing my children once again. YOOHOO!!!

Got to go now, thank you all for your wonderful support and I look forward to posting another blog soon with more progress.

Thanks for caring Calgary
Never Alone
Going to Meetings
Tim Barber

PS-Quick Saying for fellow addicts
7 Days without a meeting makes 1 weak!