Melissa Currie recalls a time in her life when drugs and undiagnosed mental health had her on the brink of death. She credits My Sisters’ Place (MSP) in London for saving her life. “When you’re living out on the streets, it’s lonely, it’s scary, it’s unpredictable,” said Currie, 42, who was telling her story at the Run for Women in London. “My nervous system was constantly on guard and I remember I’d walk into that building and it was like a home and everything would kind of just stop for a bit. The energy in there, the support, just being able to feel safe, even for a brief period of time was instrumental. Currie has been clean for 15.5 years, but there was a span of about a decade prior where she struggled and was in and out of the judicial system. “I was a frequent flier there and some of the darkest days of my life and they saved my life,” she said. “Sometimes the only meal or shower or clean change of clothes that I would get was through from My Sisters’ Place. Looking back and now, learning what I know about addiction, it’s not linear. There’s really no particular reason why I went down the route that I went down, but what I do know is, once it started it just kind of progresses from there. I was kind of the result of a lot of broken systems and a lot of help that was not available and pushed a lot of my community away.” Currie was one of a record 1,060 participants in the Shoppers Drug Mart Run for Women at Harris Park on Saturday morning. She got up on stage and despite being out of her comfort zone, delivered an impactful speech. She told of how she almost lost her feet, however a staff member got her to hospital in time to save them. “It’s so wonderful to see somebody like Melissa come forward and be willing to share her story so that people can really see the impact that services have,” said Megan Van Boheeman, director of women’s services with CMHA Thames Valley addiction mental health services. “My Sisters’ Place is 90 per cent fundraised. Our budget is $1.8 million for the year, and 90 per cent of that is all through fundraising dollars so this (run) just goes such a long way.” MSP on Dundas Street is a centre that supports individuals who identify as women through drop-in or wrap-around services. “People come into our space for all sorts of reasons,” said Van Boheeman. “We provide a nutritious meal, a hot shower, a place to do laundry, rest, connect for mental health supports. There aren’t a lot of spaces like that where it’s women only, where they are safe and they can get the needs, they have. Sometimes they’d be on the streets, sometimes they’ve been staying in places that are unsafe.” Currie is now a skilled trades worker. “I pay taxes and that’s super not fun,” she joked. “My life is really, really great today, and I try to live it to the fullest. I could go on and on and speak about My Sisters’ Place and CMHA and just how important this work is. These agencies are why we need to continue to have them available to meet people where they’re at, for whatever they need.” Thankful for having both of her feet, Currie was participating in the 10 km run. “The only time I used to run was from the police,” she told the crowd. “The fact I’m able to run 10k, I’m beyond grateful.”
