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A new hope for a better life.

“If everyone does something, there will be a ripple effect that will create a bigger change,” says Toni Morris.

Four years ago Toni’s life was “upside down”. She was only 14, but like many vulnerable youth in our city she had become a victim of the streets. “I came from a broken home,” she says. “In many ways, I knew I was doomed from the start.”

The next couple of years were a blur for Toni. Without a place to call home or a bed to sleep in at night she moved from shelter to shelter, often sleeping on park benches or under bridges.

It was not until Toni discovered she was pregnant with her daughter Harmony that she aspired to turn her life around. With support from The Alex, an agency supported by United Way of Calgary and Area, Toni found a safe haven where she gained the confidence she needed to move forward with her life and focus on what mattered to her most: her child.

Now, 18 years old and a proud mother to daughter Harmony, she thanks The Alex for helping her move from a life of poverty to one full of promise and possibility. “To have someone believe in you makes all the difference. Now I have a passion to want to change my life so Harmony never has to experience the hardships I went through,” she says.

Her passion has taken her on a whirlwind of experiences. Toni is now a participant in The Motherload Program, a program offered by The Alex, which gives young mothers the resources and confidence they need to become skilled parents.

More recently, Toni shared her life story in The Digital Storytelling Project, an initiative jointly led by United Way and the University of Calgary, which gave youth in Calgary a voice and a chance to speak out on the issues that affect them through digital media.

“For youth like me who have had no real family or home, these programs can change your life,” Toni says.

This year, Toni plans to stay positive, go back to school and begin a career in the social services field. “It’s been a great change over the past two years,” Toni concludes. “I am so thankful to those who believed I was worth the chance and that change could happen for me.” 

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