Offering people hope is our mission

29 June 2021

Captain Brad Whittle (pictured above), a Salvation Army officer (pastor), shares about his role as the manager of The Salvation Army Townsville Recovery Services Centre.

The Townsville Recovery Services Centre in North Queensland focuses on people who have alcohol and other drug issues.

It’s holistic in many ways. We want people to learn how to live again – how to relate to people and invest in their mental, emotional, physical, spiritual health and relational well-being.

Nobody sets out to become addicted. It’s about breaking down stigma; to be more gracious and understanding and realise that everyone has a story.

It’s not just about the need, but people’s readiness for change, often precipitated by crisis and pain. There are different levels of trauma, people managing anxiety-related disorders or depression, conflict, social isola-tion and legal issues.

Hope is like oxygen to the soul. When you see people come and reach out for help, they really are starved of hope. They’re desperate, and they’re just looking for a way out from where they are.

As they engage with the supports that we provide here, social isolation reduces and there’s decreased levels of anxiety and depression. Their capacity to make better choices and their relational worldview is changed over time as well.

It is overwhelming to see people’s courage, resilience and perseverance. They don’t always see that in themselves. As they begin to experience hope in the present and the future, they start to reframe how they feel about themselves and really build into their God-given potential.

It’s humbling to be part of people’s journey every day as they discover this hope that comes from God. This hope enables them to breathe again and stand and walk in the new life that Jesus brings.