Your Stories

 A Story of Transformation

Born in Ottawa, Dawna-Llyn Marshall (nee Phelan) started Your Pet . . . Your Way, a Dog Walking, In-Home Pet Care business in 2007 at the age of 37 in Kemptville, ON.  Broken and undisciplined with a desire to be creative and in control, she often struggled when working for others.    Her life was wrought with repeated abandonment and pain from having a mother with schizophrenia and a disengaged father who nicknamed her ‘Stupe’ - short for ‘Stupid’- its obvious why she became a mother at the age of 16!  “All I wanted was someone in my life who loved me”, said Marshall upon reflection.  Three kids later, a divorce from a chronic criminal and equipped with a grade 8 education Dawna-Llyn eventually earned her high school diploma and some university courses at the age of 26.

Marshall has endured a child who survived cancer, the lay-off from her high tech job, and homelessness twice as a single parent. Fortunately, she found solace at The Kemptville Salvation Army.  “It became my safe place when times got tough”, said Marshall.  “After dealing with so much pain I had given up. The word  cope was the only four letter word that did not exist in my vocabulary but The Salvation Army embraced me – potty mouth and all.”   As Marshall made her dramatic and frequently unannounced visits to Stephanie’s office, she was encouraged to cry out to God.  “Each time I was about to go back home Stephanie would remind me of the promise found in Jeremiah 29:11 that says, ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ and then I felt less alone.”  Things got really bad for Dawna-Llyn on many occasions until finally one day she just stopped caring and she stopped going to see Stephanie, so Stephanie went to her.    Marshall couldn’t understand why someone would care about her when her own family never did.  It’s obvious to her now that if Christ died for her then she must be worth something.  So many people want to quantify life with facts, like Evolutionary Biologist and author of The God Delusion Professor Richard Dawkins, when in fact it’s about faith – an immeasurable privilege.  “As far as I’m concerned the best verse in the Bible is Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see..”    “Having received the teaching of God’s love through the Salvation Army, I was able to work my way through my pain, start a business which has bought its first company van to incorporate a new service, chauffeuring pets to their appointments – 47 pets and growing.  I now embrace the nick name ‘Stupe’, because it no longer stands for stupid … it stands for ‘Stupendous’.” 

What do I do now?
By Monique Gauvin

My husband was at work all day and the kids were away at high school in Bells Corners. The boys, Slim and Stewart, our cats, were very busy napping. So the refrigerator and I have become the best of pals… “What do I do now?” became the woeful cry of a twenty year stay at home mom! One day, while having breakfast at a local restaurant, I saw an ad in the paper that the Salvation Army was looking for volunteers. Great! Max, my son, had to do 40 volunteer hours for school.

I made the call on his behalf and my life changed! I made the decision to break ties with the refrigerator, to get out of the house and begin volunteering and a great new routine was soon established; my Saturdays were devoted to sorting donated clothing. While I thoroughly enjoy the semi-solitude of the sorting shed, it was the wonderful friends I have made over the past three years that truly made a difference in my life. People who began as mere acquaintances quickly became valued friends: women who were there whenever I needed them. We laughed together, cried together, prayed together and even shopped together. There was always someone to encourage me and give me support when I was feeling under the weather. I also became more confident and sharpened my job skills after twenty years at home. Putting recent volunteer experience on my resume, as well as the contacts I developed helped me to land part-time employment at Giant Tiger. But you can still see me with my friends at The Salvation Army on some week days and Saturdays so please drop in and say hi! And if you’d like to open up some new opportunities in your life, why not come and join us – you’ll be glad you did!