Lisa’s Story

It has been a journey of learning, unlearning, falling down, getting back up and, perhaps most importantly, discovering that healing can happen in community.

Today, Lisa spends her time giving back to that community. She volunteers at Our Place Society’s 55+ Club, bringing along her two therapy dogs to brighten the day of older adults who gather there. She also offers free Zumba classes, sharing her love of movement and fitness with the community.

She comes to give.

But somewhere along the way, she realized that giving back was helping her heal, too.

Lisa was born in Regina and grew up in Victoria. Her childhood was complicated, and experiences of instability and trauma stayed with her as she grew up and started a family of her own. In her twenties, Lisa struggled with severe depression and anxiety and eventually spent time in a psychiatric ward. She found her way through that difficult period and discovered purpose through her faith and community. Years later, after her marriage ended and her mother died suddenly, much of the trauma she had carried resurfaced.

At 48, Lisa began self-medicating. What followed was a difficult five-year spiral through addiction, mental health crises, treatment and homelessness. She eventually lost her home and, for a time, lived on the streets in Saskatoon. She experienced shelters, domestic violence and the uncertainty of not knowing where she would sleep or what tomorrow would bring.

“I was just in survival,” Lisa says.

Looking back, she realizes she had been trying to manage overwhelming emotional pain without understanding what was happening beneath it. She was later diagnosed with ADHD, something she says helped her understand parts of herself she had struggled with for years.

“I was trying to run a marathon with a broken leg and didn’t know it.”

Eventually, Lisa reached a point where she knew something had to change. She reached out to her faith, to people in recovery and to people who could support her. She began learning new ways to manage trauma, emotional regulation and impulsivity. She learned to reach for a friend, attend a meeting or go for a walk instead of turning to the things she had once used to numb her pain. It wasn’t easy. Recovery wasn’t linear.

But slowly, things began to change.

Today, Lisa describes her sobriety and recovery as one of the biggest successes of her life, alongside having her children. She has a job she loves, a sense of security and, perhaps most importantly, a renewed sense of purpose. And that purpose has brought her to Our Place.

“I get to give back to other people and share that it is possible,” she says.

Lisa first became involved with Our Place as a volunteer because she wanted to help. But the more time she spent here, the more she realized that the connection went both ways. For Lisa, volunteering is not simply something she does for others. It has become part of her recovery.

One of the most rewarding parts of her life is coming to Our Place, spending time with people, sharing what she loves and watching others grow.

At the 55+ Club, her two therapy dogs have become part of that connection. Their presence brings smiles, conversation and companionship to people who may sometimes be experiencing loneliness or difficult days. Through her Zumba classes, Lisa creates another opportunity for people to move, connect and have fun together.

“I feel like this is part of my purpose,” she says.

That may be one of the quieter truths about recovery: sometimes healing happens not only through receiving support, but through discovering that you have something to give. 

“Everybody has their own journey and story,” she says. “I would just ask people to come in a non-judgmental way because you never know. I never thought I’d be in that place ever.”

Today, Lisa walks through the doors of Our Place not as someone looking for a service, but as someone who wants to be part of a community. And in doing so, she continues to build a life rooted in purpose, connection and recovery. For Lisa, giving back isn’t separate from healing. It is part of it. And sometimes, the person offering a hand is being helped too.