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Cealia Gagnon (above right) pictured with fellow Sponsored Employees on
loan from local businesses to support United Way’s fundraising efforts.
Centre for referrals to social Cealia didn’t tell anyone at
FOR CEALIA GAGNON, services, child care, education, school about what her family
SUCCESS IN LIFE WAS FAR
FROM GUARANTEED. and housing. was going through – she didn’t
Cealia grew up in a single- “I went to eight different grade want to be seen as ‘different’.
parent family. Her mother
divorced, and was forced to raise schools. We moved around so “For me to turn my life around
three kids alone, having no high
school diploma, no job, and no many times for my mom to gain because of the programs that
local family supports. Luckily,
she was strong enough to ask for employment, so education was are offered – I had no idea at
help when it was needed.
difficult for me, and my behaviour the time – but those programs
“It was tough. My mom would suffered. Out of the three kids
have to go to the food bank so were what made me who I am
we would have food in our lunch. in my family, I kind of went the
When you came to school and today,” she says. “When we offer
the kid next to you had all this wrong way,” Gagnon recalls.
fun stuff and you didn’t, you these programs to people and
start to realize, oh well, we are
living differently,” says Gagnon, Cealia’s mom got her involved empower them, they feel like
who has been a Windsor Police everybody else. That’s important.”
Constable for 10 years. with the House of Shalom,
Cealia remembers a time now called The House, a non- This year, Gagnon spent three
when her bed was a lawn denominational organization months in the fall supporting
chair, because that’s all her in Amherstburg that supports United Way’s fundraising efforts
family could afford. United youth aged 14-24 and is funded as a Sponsored Employee – on
Way-funded food banks, like by United Way. From grades 9 to loan from the Windsor Police
the Unemployed Help Centre, 12, Cealia attended free weekly Service to help support United
provided food so they could sessions where she could talk to Way’s campaign and raise
afford to keep a roof over their peers in similar circumstances, awareness about poverty in
heads. Her mom also used the get academic assistance, and find the community.
mentors to support her in making
“good life choices. IF IT WASN’T FOR HOUSE, NOW THAT
“If it wasn’t for House, now I’M IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER, I
that I’m in my professional
career, I don’t think that I DON’T THINK THAT I WOULD BE THE
would be the police officer that “
I am today. I might have been POLICE OFFICER THAT I AM TODAY. I
one of those statistics,” admits
Gagnon. “I could have been in MIGHT HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE
STATISTICS -CEALIA GAGNON
the justice system.”
www.weareunited.com | 11
Cealia Gagnon (above right) pictured with fellow Sponsored Employees on
loan from local businesses to support United Way’s fundraising efforts.
Centre for referrals to social Cealia didn’t tell anyone at
FOR CEALIA GAGNON, services, child care, education, school about what her family
SUCCESS IN LIFE WAS FAR
FROM GUARANTEED. and housing. was going through – she didn’t
Cealia grew up in a single- “I went to eight different grade want to be seen as ‘different’.
parent family. Her mother
divorced, and was forced to raise schools. We moved around so “For me to turn my life around
three kids alone, having no high
school diploma, no job, and no many times for my mom to gain because of the programs that
local family supports. Luckily,
she was strong enough to ask for employment, so education was are offered – I had no idea at
help when it was needed.
difficult for me, and my behaviour the time – but those programs
“It was tough. My mom would suffered. Out of the three kids
have to go to the food bank so were what made me who I am
we would have food in our lunch. in my family, I kind of went the
When you came to school and today,” she says. “When we offer
the kid next to you had all this wrong way,” Gagnon recalls.
fun stuff and you didn’t, you these programs to people and
start to realize, oh well, we are
living differently,” says Gagnon, Cealia’s mom got her involved empower them, they feel like
who has been a Windsor Police everybody else. That’s important.”
Constable for 10 years. with the House of Shalom,
Cealia remembers a time now called The House, a non- This year, Gagnon spent three
when her bed was a lawn denominational organization months in the fall supporting
chair, because that’s all her in Amherstburg that supports United Way’s fundraising efforts
family could afford. United youth aged 14-24 and is funded as a Sponsored Employee – on
Way-funded food banks, like by United Way. From grades 9 to loan from the Windsor Police
the Unemployed Help Centre, 12, Cealia attended free weekly Service to help support United
provided food so they could sessions where she could talk to Way’s campaign and raise
afford to keep a roof over their peers in similar circumstances, awareness about poverty in
heads. Her mom also used the get academic assistance, and find the community.
mentors to support her in making
“good life choices. IF IT WASN’T FOR HOUSE, NOW THAT
“If it wasn’t for House, now I’M IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER, I
that I’m in my professional
career, I don’t think that I DON’T THINK THAT I WOULD BE THE
would be the police officer that “
I am today. I might have been POLICE OFFICER THAT I AM TODAY. I
one of those statistics,” admits
Gagnon. “I could have been in MIGHT HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE
STATISTICS -CEALIA GAGNON
the justice system.”
www.weareunited.com | 11
