Peggy Revell
After more than 12 years of helping out those in need, the “Door of Hope” Counselling Services in Fort Frances is closing as of Saturday (Jan. 31).
And while it hasn’t always been easy, admitted Ron Hagerty, who spent those dozen years volunteering as a counsellor for the service, it has been a very rewarding and fulfilling experience.
“I don’t think we really thought of when or where or how it would end or whatever,” said Hagerty on when he and fellow counsellor Ken Johnson first started out to provide a service where people could come in for counselling from a Biblical and Christian perspective.
But a combination of reasons has led them to decide to close the service, Hagerty explained, including some health struggles, getting older, and having other responsibilities.
“We feel that we had to let something go, so this is what we’ve chosen,” he remarked, although both of them still will be available to do some counselling on a more informal basis.
“Thank you is what I would say to a whole lot of people who have made this possible,” added Hagerty.
“It sure wasn’t just us,” he stressed. “We were there doing counselling, but there’s been a lot of people that have supported and been a part of the board of directors over the years, and just really just been there for us.
“It’s been a real team effort for it to continue all of these years, too, because we had a board of directors that have given leadership to it, we’ve had churches that have supported and sponsored us, to pay our rent and phone bill and that sort of thing.”
A lot of people have come along with the services to help create community ownership of it, Hagerty continued, and they have been joined by people from Dryden and Kenora, as well as the States.
While it’s often the government providing services for people, Johnson stressed that for this service, it was some of the local churches that stepped up to provide, covering the basic bills and having the service open to all in the community.
“I guess in a time where sometimes churches might be seen as just taking from people, some of the negative stuff that’s out there, I think they’ve reached out . . . and provided this, no strings attached,” he noted.
“So that’s part of my ‘thank you,’ as far as recognizing them.”
The one thing both Johnson and Hagerty will greatly miss is the people.
For Johnson, one of his favourite parts over the 12 years has been the marital counselling—helping families to stay together and come back together.
“To help prevent some of those negative ripples, it’s almost like a bit of a legacy that you do, that no one really attributes to you but you’ve changed people’s lives,” he explained.
“There’s certainly great gratification in being able to impact people’s lives and their greatest needs.”
“I think it’s been a sacred area, like standing on holy ground, when people are sharing really their pain and what’s going on in their personal lives,” echoed Hagerty. “So it’s been a real sacred time to spend and journey with people.
“That’s been a real honour for us, that people would trust us with sharing their lives,” he added. “It’s been really meaningful.”
