“It’s a safe space to build yourself up and prepare yourself.” 

Jamie Whitford started using at 15. A country kid who was new to the city, they say they were introduced to meth while feeling bombarded by aspects of city life. They quickly became addicted, and say meth was a coping mechanism as they struggled with gender dysphoria.  As a member of the LGBTQ2I’ community, it was tough for Whitford to find a space to recover where they felt comfortable and heard. That changed when they connected with Marion Willis and Morberg House through St. Boniface Street Links. 

Whitford describes it as a “community of sobriety” that exists in different locations in the city where Street Links operates. 

Calling themselves a work in progress, Whitford is now focused on finding coping mechanisms that aren’t connected to drugs. 

“It’s a safe space to build yourself up and prepare yourself.”