CUPS Client Story: Mike
Finding hope in despair and forging a new path
One of the biggest changes in the way CUPS supports vulnerable Calgarians starts right from the first moment we meet them. Brain science research indicates the experiences we have when we’re young shape our brains for a lifetime. The question shouldn’t be, “what’s wrong with you?” it should be “what happened to you?”
For Mike, what happened to him was a lifestyle of drugs and alcohol - from the very beginning.
Meet Mike
Mike grew up only knowing and understanding one way to live — through struggling and homelessness. He was exposed to alcohol, drugs and crime at a young age and it was the only lifestyle he knew. To Mike, it became an obsession and it took 20 years to realize the problem with alcohol and drugs wasn’t an external problem — it was about himself.
When Mike’s wife died in 2017, he lost all hope, and his five children. Mike realized he needed to find a new way forward. He reached out for help. After joining a treatment program and Alcoholic Anonymous, he was connected with CUPS. For Mike, that was a pivotal moment.
“When I first came to CUPS, I was broken, I was beat. I was financially bankrupt, spiritually bankrupt; I was looking for a way out and looking for support,” recalls Mike. “Lana was there and ever since then it’s just been like a miracle in the making. I didn’t want to give up — they gave me so much hope, so many options, so many referrals. The support from CUPS has been amazing.”
With support from CUPS and the Department of Child and Family Services, Mike got his kids back in less than a year. CUPS has not only helped Mike get identification, and referrals for the Food Bank and other programs, but they’ve also helped him become an even better parent to his children through the Nurturing Parenting Program and Counselling.
Mike has also embraced his culture and regularly prays while his children go to an Aboriginal school.
A change of scenery for a fresh start
With help from CUPS, Mike and his family have recently moved into a home in a new neighbourhood — a community where Mike feels it's safe for his children to go to the park and play outside without being exposed to the lifestyle he’s trying to move away from.
Through the CUPS housing program, they subsidize half of the rent so Mike can afford other expenses like food and clothing for his kids, car payments and insurance.
With a lot of time at home through the pandemic, Mike and his kids have grown closer together and spend their extra time painting, playing video games and skateboarding around the neighbourhood. And when someone’s birthday comes around, Mike calls CUPS and they help him put together a special birthday package for his child, complete with cake, a present and decorations - everything to make them feel special.
“I can always depend on CUPS when I need to.”
We invite you to watch Mike share his story here.