Former Addicts Graduate from Life Change Program

CTV News, from mysask.com:

Former Addicts Graduate from Life Change Program
Thu, May 11, 2006 11:44 AM CST

A colourful graduation ceremony last night for drug addicts who've turned their lives around. This year, eight grads have all gone through the one year life change program at the Regina Rescue Mission. The only program of its kind in the city. Rider Coach Danny Barrett and his wife Alison handed out the graduation awards. The five men and three women are all now either employed, or back in school. It has been a long journey...most had been living on the streets, addicted to drugs and alcohol. The grads had a chance to tell their own success stories to the crowd of six hundred.

Melissa Wright: "You know when you hit rock bottom, it's almost like there's nothing out there. No hope. There's no forgiveness, there's nothing. With the Regina Rescue Mission, it opened so many doors. And Jesus is there waiting for us. Our lives are transformed by the renewing of our minds. We're miracles today. To get off the drugs, to choose to get off the drugs is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. But it's the best decision I have ever made."

Last night's graduation banquet raised more than 67 thousand dollars for the work of the Regina Rescue Mission.

And a first for the Regina Rescue mission last night. A young woman gave birth to a bouncing baby boy at the Mission at 2am this morning. Paramedics arrived in time to assist in the delivery, but there was no time to move the mom to hospital. The mom and her 6 pound, 2 oz baby boy are doing fine. They are both now resting in hospital.