Looking For Hope – Celestine’s Story

The role models I had to look up to growing up were living a lifestyle of drinking and partying. Due to these influences and circumstances, I began to drink at the age of thirteen.

In my teenage years, I was known as a ‘social butterfly’. Everyone wanted to party with me because I was fun to be around and lacked boundaries. As my addiction grew, I started to experience psychosis and struggled with levels of fear that I didn’t know were possible. I was constantly in survival mode as every day I felt like I was going to die. I didn’t like who I was becoming or what I was experiencing and I felt trapped in this cycle of partying, drinking, and doing drugs.

There were many times that I found myself in vulnerable situations that would lead me into moments of desperation for hope. As I would cry out to God I would pray for Him to show me a sign. Without fail, every time in moments of desperation I would be met by divine encounters where a person would either say or give me exactly what I needed. This showed me that God was always with me, even in the darkest times of my life.

I had two daughters when I was experiencing a pivotal moment in my addiction. There was a moment when I was faced with extreme seizures from drug use and neglect of food and water. I felt as though the inside of my body was twisting and turning all around. I really thought that I was going to die. During my addiction, I had many near-death experiences but this time, I felt as though I was face to-face with death.

This thought of not being the mother I knew my children deserved began to run through my mind. After the seizures stopped something clicked in my mind, and I knew that this was a turning point. For the first time, I felt this fight rise up in me so that I could be free from addiction because of my daughters.

I knew that I needed to go into detox so I started preparing myself for real-life change by getting my heart, spirit, and body ready. After completing detox I applied to the Calgary Dream Centre’s (CDC) community housing and shortly after applying, I was moving in. When I was homeless, every day was always a question of where I was going to sleep, what I was going to eat, or if I was going to be safe. I now live in the CDC’s Women’s Housing and I finally have a sense of relief. The CDC gave me peace in exchange of fear, hope in exchange of anxiety, and faith in exchange of depression.

Today I am proud to say that I’m working stronger than ever on my recovery. I am currently upgrading my studies to pursue social work so I can one day help people like myself. I am also pursuing parenting courses and prioritizing spending time with my daughters so I can work toward being the best mother that I can be.

I have come from feeling broken and hopeless, I believe that you too can find freedom from addiction. I know my story is not finished, so I don’t discount the process because the process is what shapes us to be who we are today. There truly is power in the process!

We can’t do it without you.

Together we can remind the people of Calgary that no one is beyond hope.

Werner Haag

Bio coming soon.

Steven Balisky

Steve Balisky is an intrapreneur with over 15 years of experience driving data-driven transformation within national companies Suncor and Mark’s. He has also been providing leadership consulting to nonprofits for the last 10 years and has served on the CDC board since 2019. Steve holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Operations Management and an MBA in Strategy. He is a husband and father of two, and has his own faith-filled recovery story, which inspires him to support others on their path to recovery.

Ben Johnson

Ben has been the Lead Pastor of First Assembly Church in Calgary since 2014, bringing over 30 years of ministry and leadership experience to the non-profit sector. He’s also an executive leadership coach, helping leaders thrive across various sectors since 2012. His experience includes serving on national and regional boards within his denomination, as well as supporting Vancouver’s homeless through his past involvement with Operation Compassion. Ben has served on the CDC board in Calgary for the past decade and believes the Church plays a vital role in creating lasting community impact.

Craig Hill

Craig Hill has been involved with the Calgary Dream Centre (CDC) since its inception. Starting with trips to the LA Dream Centre where seeds were planted in him that were never forgotten. After years of working in business, real estate, and church ministry, Craig returned to the CDC to step in as the CEO. Craig has a deep appreciation for the life change that happens here, the incredible team, and seeing the redemptive work that God is doing. Outside of work, Craig is a family man who loves nothing more than being with his wife and kids at the lake.

David Taylor

David grew up in northern Canada and attended the University of Alberta where he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering. He worked as an engineer for about seven years before moving into project management and then business management, primarily focused in the oil and gas production and refining industry.

David stepped into the COO role of a business that was in trouble due to the 2008 financial crisis. After turning that business around, he took an international role leading project managers who managed a portfolio of $1.5B of projects around the globe.

Since then, David has consulted for businesses and organizations in medicine, engineering, homelessness, and addiction recovery, and serves on various not-for-profit boards.

David is currently running another business in California that was also in need of a dramatic turnaround and now scaling this business for further profitable growth.

Cal Johnson

Cal has spent 35 years in the agricultural industry and brings domestic and international executive leadership experience in strategy development, operations, business development, and M&A in a rapid growth environment.  He is a Professional Engineer, Certified Post Merger Integration Specialist, and is a holder of the Institute of Corporate Directors Director designation (ICD.D).

Throughout his life, Cal has volunteered in his community in sport and programs that focus on relational, emotional, and spiritual health.  He has served on non-profit boards in both governance and advisory capacities.  Cal truly believes no one is beyond hope and counts it a privilege to serve at the Calgary Dream Centre.

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Bob Nash

Bob Nash is a dedicated and service focused professional Electrical Engineer volunteering as Board Chair and Project Manager for the Calgary Dream Centre (CDC). Bob’s involvement with the CDC extends to its earliest days.  His faith, and his sincere passion for helping people overcome addiction and restoring their lives, have motivated his service. Using his 35 years of senior management experience at Canadian Pacific Railway, Bob has effectively used his leadership, management, strategic planning, project management skills and philanthropic support to help propel the Calgary Dream Centre to where it is today. Bob and his wife of 44 years have two children and six grandchildren.