Talitha Koum Society,

The guests that we welcomed came with an important, and indeed moving, presentation. Representing the Talitha Koum Society, Sharon Delalla told the tale of Talitha Koum, whom she described as a downtown addict who was brought to realize the desperation of her position by her Bishop, who persuaded her to take the path of physical recovery, spiritual awakening and self-discovery. The Society was created in 2000, but last year was gifted a house in Coquitlam by a sympathetic beneficiary, a house now used to assist a number of women in various states of personal distress. The Society now operates two such houses. Those who need the society's services have only two real obligations, namely to enter into a six-month signed commitment to participate and to go to a church (of whatever religion they choose) once a week.

The program is based upon the 12-step principle (which is to say, much as AAA) and is conducted by volunteers, usually graduates of the program, on a one-to-one basis. Many such attendees have only the vaguest awareness of what most of us regard as 'normality' - they know little of Christmas, birthdays or other celebrations, and are brought to understand society's norms through coaching in food and nutrition, house 'environment', gifts and graduation and the meaning of commitment : as Sharon stated "if the program won't work, we quickly find out."

Following Sharon, we heard a personal account from a graduate who is now operating as a counsellor. Her story - well presented and very articulate - was one of a very  dysfunctional family, her upbringing being conducted largely by two older sisters. Her downhill spiral began by stealing from everyone that she knew, until she ended up in the Oil Patch and started to earn money, but fell immediately into drug use. She got pregnant at 21, followed by another son, and then found crack cocaine through the intermediary of a taxi driver. She described this as the worst addiction, the user wanting nothing in life other than more of the drug. Inevitably she was arrested, and then sentenced to a 5-year term. There she saw herself described as 'unbunkable', a euphemism meaning that one is a menace to society. 

She was brought in from the cold by a visiting woman who persuaded her that only one thing needed change in her life, and that was everything. She went to seek help at the Society, where she was finally persuaded to choose her children over her drugs. Now, she concluded, she has learned to love and to know of good relationships with her children. From this story, both chilling and warming, the value of the society's counselling is apparent. 

Our speakers were warmly thanked for a moving presentation.