Homeless Veteran Beats the Streets in Canada

Homeless Veteran Beats the Streets
Thirty-year-old Ryan McKenna is one of nine homeless veterans living at The Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope in Calgary. Following two tours of duty in the Persian Gulf, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) led to his marriage breakdown and cycles of substance abuse and addiction. It wasn’t long before he was living on the streets.

“Being part of a ships crew that contributes to the war on terror leaves you with a level of anxiety and stress that you never overcome,” says Ryan. “We were on high alert at all times, which meant we had to be ready for anything. Daily drills, without warning, prepared us for man overboard, fires, floods, rescue and attack. You never knew if the drill was for real or a test.
“I stayed strong while on duty, but when I returned home to Halifax in 2003 my anxiety and depression surfaced. Social workers were unable to grasp the magnitude of my PTSD. I drank excessively to drown my emotions.

“Alcoholism is a terrible thing. It destroyed my family. My marriage fell apart and I lost custody of my sons, 5 and 3. I moved to Calgary to start a new life. When I arrived at The Salvation Army Centre of Hope I was unemployed, addicted to alcohol and homeless.”

The Calgary Centre of Hope provides accommodation for more than 400 residents, including some emergency housing, women’s shelter, mental health population accommodations, food and life skills training, chapel and counselling services, and recreational programs. As a homeless shelter the building recognizes and responds to the hardness of the lifestyle of those who use it by providing opportunities to regain a foothold in society.

In May, 2009, Ryan successfully completed The Salvation Army’s residential addictions recovery program. “My job was to fix me,” says Ryan. “The Salvation Army gave me the tools I needed to deal with life’s curves appropriately.”

Ryan is currently employed as a concrete worker. “I was so psychologically scarred from military service I never thought I could be a contributing member of society,” says Ryan. “The Salvation Army was here for me when I was as wounded as someone bleeding on the battlefield. This is the most stability I’ve had in a long time.”
To view Ryan’s recent interview with CBC click here.