My Nonprofit Reviews

In November 2014, I lost the love of my life of 28 years to suicide. The impact on my life was beyond anything I could possibly have imagined. I tried for many months to cope on my own and get back to some semblance of work. I believed I was perfectly capable of healing myself. After 8 months, I finally realized it would take more...a lot more.

I live and work in a small city in northern British Columbia. I did not feel comfortable seeking out counselors I knew personally or through my work. And, I could not find anyone that had experience with survivors of suicide loss. A few months earlier, I had found the Alliance of Hope and occasionally watched and read the forums and Facebook posts. I went back there and signed up for a set of counselling sessions. It was the best gift I ever gave myself.

Almost a year later, my sessions with Ronnie Walker continue albeit not as frequently now. Ronnie has gently guided me through the gut-wrenching maze of despair and has helped me begin to put the pieces of "me" back together again. She has encouraged me to write - something my husband always believed I could do. She supported me as I navigated through the bureaucracy of filing disability claims and let me vent when it seemed the odds were stacked up against me.

Most importantly, Ronnie and the Alliance of Hope gave me my life back. Is it different? Yes. Is there still a long way to go? Absolutely. But...through the unconditional acceptance of everyone who is involved in and contributes to this organization, I have hope again. For that, I will be forever grateful.