Reverend Steven Paulson, who has served as Executive Director of Teen Challenge of Central Canada for over 20 years, was our feature speaker at the April 16, luncheon.
 
Paulson began by asking two poignant questions: “What is the meaning of life?” And “What are you doing for your community?”
 
Steven then took us back to his early years when he was married, with a good job, and living in Toronto. He described how one day, he just decided to fly to Edmonton to watch Wayne Gretzky play hockey. At some point in that trip he came to realize although he and his wife seemed to have it all, there seemed to be “an emptiness inside”.
 
Hence, for the past 20 years, he has been involved with Teen Challenge.
 
Teen Challenge of Central Canada is a 12-month Christian discipleship program for men struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction. Teen Challenge of Central Canada began in 1995 with a small 10-bed trailer in Hadashville, Manitoba. Today they run men's homes in Winnipeg, Denare Beach MB and Thunder Bay, as well as a woman's home in Brandon.
 
The first Teen Challenge centre was founded by the late David Wilkerson, author of The Cross and the Switchblade, more than 50 years ago in Brooklyn NY. Today Teen Challenge operates more than 1000 programs in 80 countries around the globe, making it the largest and most successful faith-based drug treatment program in the world.
 
It’s Mission Statement is “Develop and nurture the transformation of restored individuals into useful, productive, law-abiding citizens by creating a framework that challenges them to reach their fullest potential in all areas of life.” Some of the services offered include Addiction Recovery Centres, Drug Awareness Presentations, and Vehicle Donation Pick-Ups.
 
Two ways in which they raise sustaining revenue are through the purchasing of older vehicles, which the residents then restore and sell for a profit. They also run a firewood selling program. These micro-businesses earn them over a million dollars per year.
 
Teen Challenge is looking for an ambassador in our community to liaise with them and assist with referrals where necessary.