04/01/2021
What a Month it’s been here at Victory Lodge. One filled with happiness, sadness, excitement, apprehension, doubt, confidence, fear, courage, and challenges that at times seemed insurmountable. But what better opportunity to see how strong ones program of recovery is then to to be thrust headfirst into an exciting yet unknown new venture. Especially while having the luxury of the support of the brotherhood that makes Victory Lodge what it is. To be able to apply new found tools, knowledge, and community to cope with life on life’s terms while having the safety net of like minded brothers in recovery to fall back on is exactly what Victory Lodge has been achieving for over a decade thanks to its founder Patrick Douglas. It’s truly inspiring to think about the magnitude of the impact The Victory Lodge has had on the countless men who have passed though its doors thanks to one man. Pats not only the founder of Victory Lodge, he’s been its heart & soul for over a decade. That's why we were so incredibly sad to see him go but know that given his loving and caring nature, there was no other path for him to take. Although I think everyone in the community would consider him a part of their family, his actual family deserves more of what he has been giving of himself to us for years. It’s hard to even know how many lives Pat has touched over the years, not to mention how many lives he has quite literally saved by being a man who’s genuine in his passion to help his fellow addicts and alcoholics. He has carried the message to countless men and in turn brought whole families back together on a scale that is hard to even comprehend. After a whirlwind few weeks filled with non stop hard work, sleepless nights, and challenges at every turn, I am so proud to announce that Pat and I have achieved the final goal he was determined to see through before his departure. Making sure Victory Lodge continues to live on, providing safe refuge for men to rebuild their lives as part of an unbreakable brotherhood we believe is integral to a sustained, successful, and truly happy life of recovery. While Pat starts a new chapter back home, I am so honoured to be able to ensure that Victory Lodge will continue to be the home of that unbreakable brotherhood, where men create bonds and friendships that make living clean and sober not only seem possible, but the path to happiness we had always searched for in all the wrong places. We will continue to be the much needed home to brothers in recovery, using the “Power of We” to not only guide men on their path to recovery one day at a time but to thrive in those new found lives, forging bonds of TRUE love and friendship. Friendships built on trust, respect, and genuine care for each other were completely foreign to many of us and when we finally saw the power and possibilities that a loving and caring community of like minded brothers and sisters can provide, we truly started to see that a clean and sober life can bring us the happiness and fulfillment we sought through drugs and alcohol for all too long. The brotherhood amongst the men at Victory Lodge has always been its source of strength and spirit over all these years and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be able to ensure that spirit lives on long into the future. My heart is full knowing that Victory Lodge will continue to show men that the promises really can be fulfilled, that there is a life for them they never thought possible, and that they will never be alone in that journey. I am so excited for the future of Victory Lodge, a place where that hope you may have lost however long ago can be yours once again simply by embracing the connections that you form with other recovering addicts all with the same common goal. The brotherhood is here to stay!
Sincerely,
Dave Hissink
