Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Many people think that successful work with poverty-stricken street people and people living with drug & alcohol addiction/mental health issues will result in a “normal” life for them. That is however, largely a myth. It’s also true people generally assume that successful work with and help for the impoverished and homeless, should be measured by how close clients get to society’s “norm”, meaning money, a house, a job, a family, living a stereotypical happy and “normal” life as a result of that help. The speaker will argue that at Streets Alive, success is measured in different ways. For some, 24 hours of sobriety is a success. For some, having a meal and appropriate clothing so they can survive another day is a success. What might seem like a small success to most people is often a huge success for them. And even a small success for our clients is a huge success for us. Every step is celebrated and encouraged. The work at Streets Alive does aid some clients to be able to get on their feet, get out on