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Everybody Deserves a Second Chance

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General, Success Stories

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A considerable number of people end up in prison because they’ve experienced bad luck, misfortune, setbacks, and roadblocks in their lives. Then, when they attempt to find employment or suitable housing, their criminal record serves as another type of roadblock. Nowadays, employers and some landlords routinely undertake a criminal record check when evaluating applicants. Very few get hired or approved once information about a criminal record is revealed.

What will seem surprising to many is the fact that, for the last two years, Sir Richard Branson has been encouraging the managing directors of hundreds of Virgin companies to take on ex-offenders.[…] Read More

Hard Drinking Leads to Downward Spiral

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General, Success Stories

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Ralph was raised in a hard-working logging and fishing town in Alberta. Hard drinking was the norm, and he began to drink at a very young age. It was so easy to be a part of that lifestyle, leading to destructive and harmful acts. Even now, it still hurts to think about how much better he could have been without alcohol ruling his life. It took a very long time to grow up and change his ways.[…] Read More

Realizing What Is Important in Our Lives

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General, Success Stories

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“Larry” was 24 years old, feisty, bearing a grudge, dealing with some unresolved issues. As often happens, he fell in with the wrong crowd and all the negative influences took control. Using narcotics became a regular routine, leading him to being aggressive and antisocial. Eventually, he was charged and convicted for possession of narcotics, then for the purpose of trafficking. His lowest point saw him being charged and convicted for assault with a weapon.[…] Read More

Lured by False Promises, Lesson Soon Learned

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General, Success Stories

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The fish sees the bait, not the hook; a person sees the gain, not the danger [Chinese proverb] – A young, naïve newcomer to Canada got a harsh introduction to peer pressure, but has since overcome the consequences and moved on.

Shortly after immigrating to Alberta, Canada, while employed as a pizza delivery person, a young man had the misfortune to find a credit card and then tell a coworker. Since he was not familiar with credit cards, his home country not having them at that time, he became a pawn in an attempt to take advantage of this situation – sadly, the coworker lacked integrity and duped this hapless soul into using it to purchase gas for himself and friends.[…] Read More

Taking Control, Moving Forward

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General, Success Stories

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A worthwhile person seeks not the easy life, for the easy life does not make a worthwhile person [Chinese proverb]. Here is the story about how one young man has “changed his ways” and found a better way to live life.

When he began his involvement in the drug trade, he was too naïve to question how it might impact his future. He was young and impressionable and fell in with the wrong crowd because he was materialistic, wanting all the finer stuff that comes with the so-called “good life,” without having the skills to acquire them legitimately.[…] Read More

We Do Have the Power to Right Our Wrongs

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General, Success Stories

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“Addiction”: being enslaved to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming – such a state is extremely difficult to overcome, but it can and does happen! Here is one young man’s description of how his life has improved.

In his late teens, he was constantly attempting to escape his problems through drugs and alcohol, leaving home to either rent accommodation or live on the streets. He attended school only sporadically, and fell in with the “wrong crowd,” stealing to get drug money and causing property damage in the process.[…] Read More

Haunted by the Past

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General, Success Stories

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A foolhardy decision made in an effort to impress his friends caused a young man to bring marijuana home with him to Canada after visiting the Netherlands. Being young and careless, he attempted to head home on a flight that stopped over in the United States. Security personnel of course immediately detected his contraband. At once he felt the shame and regret overwhelm him, realizing how ridiculous his actions had been.[…] Read More

“Money trials are not the hardest…”

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General, Success Stories

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… money trials are not the hardest, and somehow or other, they are always overcome. [Amelia E. Barr]

That “tangled web we weave…” out of despair, grief, frustration, or desperation – not seeing things so clearly when we are faced with trials and tribulations that sometimes leads us astray. This fellow surely has overcome that time of his life and moved on in the right direction.

His fraud convictions occurred at a time when he was both unemployed and grieving over the recent death of his father.[…] Read More

Scared Straight

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General, Success Stories

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Scared Straight

As he was leaving the RCMP station after being released, he saw his wife and baby daughter waiting for him. That was the moment he broke down, feeling incredibly remorseful and embarrassed for what he had done. They were everything to him and he was so scared of losing them.

He had used cocaine occasionally, not considering the full consequences of this type of life style. At the time of his arrest, he had gone to the airport to pick up his friend who was arriving for a short visit.[…] Read More

Moved On… With Supportive Friends And Family

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General, Success Stories

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“Regret,” “remorse,” “anguish,” “self-reproach” – all these feelings hang heavy when one truly realizes the consequences of wrong doing. Here is the story of one woman who, in desperation, succumbed to temptation, but who has since moved on with the care and encouragement of supportive friends and family.

During the time that she was stealing from her employer, she was not thinking clearly of the consequences or her future. Also, she was on antidepressant medication.[…] Read More