Changing lives at Village of Hope

By Joan Janzen

What does helping people overcome addictions look like? A quick tour through the Village of Hope in Eston revealed the day-to-day operation. Less than a dozen men are at the Village, most new to the facility.

One large room is being converted into a bakery and cafeteria. It was there that I met Vic, who was busy painting the walls and a cabinet. After a few minutes, it was time for a coffee break when he shared how he had arrived at Eston, Sask.

Although Vic is painting and helping out with the renovations for the Village of Hope Bakery in Eston, he’s also enrolled in the addictions program. “I gave up everything to be here. If I don’t do it now, I never will,” he said. Photo by Joan Janzen

Coffee was served in the kitchen, which will also serve as the Village of Hope Bakery until the renovations are complete. It was the end of the day, and the guys had already packaged the baking while others were making a delivery to Kindersley.

Vic is a painter by trade and had a small business near Flin Flon, Manitoba, but his addictions were affecting his work. “I had employees to pay, and I said I can’t do it. It was hard to admit I needed help,” he said. “I didn’t want to live like that anymore.”

He had tried other programs before. “I was in 30-day programs, but here they do something differently,” he said. He knew a friend who had gone through the Village of Hope program in New Brunswick and was living free of addictions, and he told Vic about the Eston location.

“I didn’t know about this place until four days before I came here,” he said. He sold his equipment, and his pastor drove him eight and a half hours to Eston. “I gave up everything to be here. I decided I can do better things than what I was doing, and if I don’t do it now, I never will.”

He explained what Village of Hope does differently. “You have to deal with your mental and emotional self. That’s an area I never really looked at,” he explained. “They give you addiction information, but the process is different.” The curriculum extends hope to the students as they realize they don’t need to kick their addiction on their own strength but are assisted by a loving God.

Every day, except Sunday, begins at 6:00 a.m. Breakfast is at 6:30 a.m, and dorms and rooms are cleaned at 7:00 a.m. At 7:30, the guys go to their rooms, where they learn how to journal.

Ben, who is a leader in training, said journaling is an internal analysis that helps them understand some of their character defects. And there are few distractions since they hand in their cell phones when they enter the program. Class time is from 8:00 to 9:00, and at 10:15 they go to work.

Work includes maintenance on the building, cleaning, and yard maintenance, with a main focus on working in the bakery. “I put my tools away a month ago and was sad I wouldn’t be painting,” Vic said. But it turns out his painting skills are coming in quite handy throughout the renovation process.

Thanks to some faithful volunteers from the community, there’s always home cooked meals. After supper, some type of recreational activity is planned.

All the men continually learn about themselves and how to live a better life. As a leader-in-training, Ben realizes learning is a lifelong process. “I’m here to learn fundamental skills and what it takes to live and function within a healthy environment,” he said.

He teaches the curriculum during class time. “It’s understanding where you came from, why you’re here. What kind of lifestyle did you come from? What vision do you have for your life? We want to ask the right questions and get the guys out of their comfort zone,” he explained.

“People here aren’t afraid to show me my blind spots, even if it hurts my feelings,” he continued.

Ben compared living with an addiction to living in hell. “They (addicts) believe lies they’ve been functioning with all their lives,” he said.

Substance use statistics in Saskatchewan reveal there were 437 drug toxicity deaths in the province between Jan. 1 and Dec. 4, 2023. The drug epidemic has taken so many young lives that Saskatchewan’s life expectancy fell by two years.

This is why the work being done at Village of Hope is essential. Although the handful of participants may be few, we’re advised not to despise small beginnings. Each person whose life is changed will go on to impact the lives of everyone they touch.