Angie Shilliday was crowned Mrs. Calgary in 2010 and Mrs. Canada in 2014 and says she wasn’t in it for what the titles would do for her, but for the doors they would open to allow her to help others.
She says she fells a real sense of accomplishment as she sits in a house that she helped to renovate to provide a place for women who need help overcoming addictions.
Shilliday and Mrs. Calgary 2013, TJ Anderson, exchanged gowns for carpenters tool belts and went to work renovating the house.
“There's a gap in the system, especially when women and women with children are concerned and I just felt that, I’ve always been supported and to be able to do this with my good friend TJ Anderson it just meant so much personally and for my community,” said Shilliday.
The home was purchased by 1835 Recovery Acres, a non-profit organization that has been helping men with addictions for years.
Anderson says working on the project with Shilliday was inspiring.
“She's always a breath of fresh air. She's always got a smile and she's always so uplifting to be around. To have as a friend and then to work together on a project, it's so rewarding to do something together,” said Anderson.
The home is called ‘CARE’, which stands for Co-occurring Addiction Recovery Essentials for Women, and program director, Janine Copeland, says she is grateful for what Shilliday has done.
“I know Angie is very passionate about this project and she's really put this place together in terms of building a safe space for women to come and get well,” said Copeland.
For all she's done to create a safe place for women battling addictions, Angie Shilliday is our Inspiring Albertan this week.
For more information on Recovery Acres, click HERE.
(With files from Darrel Janz)
