Still Here, Because Someone Showed Up | Rosemary Ellis

Feb 4

Episode Overview

Real-life story | Honest conversation | Community-centred care

Topics: Trauma, addiction recovery, hope, showing up, dignity, faith in action, ordinary neighbourly care

Who It’s For: Anyone who cares about healing, neighbourhood, community, or simply wants to know how small acts of kindness matter—even when things feel messy

In this episode, you’ll meet Rosemary Ellis, who opens up about her journey from deep pain to renewed purpose. Listen in as she shares how trust is built slowly, healing often feels fragile, and care is most powerful when it comes from people willing to simply be present, even when they don’t have answers. You’ll hear how faith, community, and practical acts of neighbourliness walk hand in hand—and why your presence can make all the difference.

Core Idea

Life changes when someone keeps showing up, even when things are hard—even when you don’t know what to say.

Often, hope grows not from big gestures or perfect advice, but from small moments of care, a listening ear, and the courage to believe in another’s dignity.

What Really Matters in Care

Presence Over Perfection

It’s easy to think helping means having all the answers. Rosemary reminds us that care is about sticking around, listening, praying, and not giving up—even if you’re told to leave, even if things don’t change overnight.

Dignity at the Centre

Seeing someone’s worth means more than quick fixes. It means respect, choice, and creating space where trauma or pain isn’t the only story. Nobody is just what happened to them.

Seeds of Hope

A warm drink, a sandwich, a gentle prayer, or simply showing up—these are the small seeds that sometimes grow into new beginnings. You may never see the outcome, but you can be part of planting hope.

Lived Experience Creates Trust

Rosemary’s life—her struggles and healing—help her build trust and walk with people facing addiction or family crisis. Sometimes, being willing to share your own story opens doors for someone else.

Faith, Not as Preaching—But as Presence

Faith showed up for Rosemary in real life—on a street corner, through volunteers offering a hot drink, a hand, a prayer. It wasn’t immediate, but it was real.

Neighbourly in Real Life: ICYA and More

Inner City Youth Alive is a welcoming “lighthouse” in Winnipeg’s North End.
It’s a place for youth and families to find safety, acceptance, work opportunities, and support—whether it’s through a drop-in, Talk Time, construction projects like Step Up, or food banks.
Rosemary’s job is walking with people—especially women—through the thick of addiction, child welfare battles, and court advocacy.

How Healing Happens (in Rosemary’s Words)

Rosemary survived abuse and addiction, but the journey took years and lots of support.
Turning points didn’t come from big interventions—they came when someone got off a bus, stayed gentle, offered prayer, or simply listened.
“Love Lives Here” bus volunteers kept showing up—even when Rosemary pushed them away.
Eventually, she said yes to prayer and felt something shift. The change took time, but those moments mattered.
Years later, she came back to volunteer on the same bus, reminded that anyone can move from surviving to serving.

What Neighbourly Care Can Look Like

The everyday choice to say “yes” to showing up, whether you have experience or just a willing heart.
Listening without trying to fix or judge.
Remembering that everyone struggles, no matter where they live.
Realizing the difference between “us” and “them” is mostly made up—everyone needs community, belonging, and dignity.

Where Faith Fits

Church and faith communities have a big role—but it’s not just about giving stuff.
The best care happens when churches, food banks, and ministries choose relationship and presence first.
Rosemary’s challenge to the church: get off the high horse, listen, learn the real stories, and be part of the everyday work of healing and reconciliation.

Simple Steps You Can Take

Learn someone’s name.
Say hello, even if it feels awkward.
Offer a hot drink, a prayer, or a listening ear.
Show up—even when nothing seems to change.
Trust that your ordinary care might be the seed someone needs to grow toward hope.

Why This Matters

Life is messy, but you don’t need to be an expert to care.
Presence is what people remember—being there is enough.
Healing takes time, and sometimes just knowing someone believes in you can change everything.

Questions Worth Reflecting On

When have you experienced someone showing up for you in a hard season?
How could you show up for a neighbour or someone going through tough times?
Where do you see the difference between fixing and listening in your everyday life?
What “seeds” might you be planting, even if you never see the outcome?
How does dignity shape the way you relate to others, especially those facing crisis?

If Rosemary’s story makes you think, want to try something new, or simply look at neighbours differently, that’s neighbourly care in action.

Guest Links:

Inner City Youth Alive: https://icya.ca

Johan Heinrichs:
This episode includes discussion of childhood sexual abuse, exploitation, and addiction, shared as part of a story of healing and hope. Listener discretion is advised. Please take care of yourself while listening.
Rosemary:
If he did it for me, he can do it for them. There are people dying. I'm blessed to be here. I say it all the time. And I'm not just saying it. I'm humbled because I shouldn't even be alive, yet I am.
Johan Heinrichs:
Every one of us has a story about someone who showed up when it mattered most. I'm Johan, and this is Neighbourly, a podcast about the ordinary ways people show extraordinary care. Every other week, Shannon Steves sits down with someone who's lived that out. Real stories of faith, kindness, and community in action. So grab your coffee and let's join Shannon at the table.
Shannon Steeves:
Okay. Well, good morning, Rosemary. I am so excited just to be on the podcast with you today. We've known each other for not super long, but you've just been somebody that, as I've gotten to know you, has encouraged and inspired me. And I'm really excited just for you to be on and. And to share some of your testimony and the way God has worked in your life. So thank you for being here today.
Rosemary:
Thank you for having me, Shannon.
Shannon Steeves:
Yeah. Before we dive into your story, we always start off with an icebreaker question of who was a neighbor that you'll never forget, good or bad?
Rosemary:
Okay. What first came to mind was a couple that would constantly throw their garbage over to my yard, and we're talking all sorts of garbage.
Shannon Steeves:
Oh, my.
Rosemary:
So that was hard. That was many, many years ago. And it just stuck with me because it didn't matter what I did, how I. You know, I. And I just got to the point where I ignored it.
Shannon Steeves:
Right. Did you try to talk to them and, like, ask them why they're doing this?
Rosemary:
I did. I did. But I also wasn't living my best life at that time, so it came to a point where I was just, you know, I. I didn't care because I didn't want to get into it. So. Yeah.
Johan Heinrichs:
Oh, that is.
Shannon Steeves:
That is memorable.
Rosemary:
It was. It is memorable.
Shannon Steeves:
Not something you forget. Before we really get into things, can you just share a little bit about your life right now and just the different ways you're involved in community?
Rosemary:
Yeah. Okay. So I. I am, number one. I am a child of God. I am a mother to four children. Well, five, actually. I'm also a foster parent, so I'm able to open up my heart and my home in a different capacity.
Rosemary:
But it's still being the same. Right. But it does look different. I am also, I have a role here at Inner City Youth Alive with the community ministry team. For the last three years. I'm working my third year here now I'm out in the community. I go out into the thick of it. There is some scheduled things I do, but for the most part, one day can look very different from the next.
Rosemary:
Yeah.
Shannon Steeves:
And for those who don't know, can you just tell us a little bit, what is inner city Youth Alive? What do you guys do there?
Rosemary:
Yeah. So how I would explain it in my own words is it is a lighthouse in the middle of the North End. There's several little areas and pockets of inner city Youth Alive. It started off primarily for youth and it still is. We have wonderful drop in staff from Monday to Thursday where our children in this community are able to come to drop in, feel safe. And also, I don't know a lot about it because I don't work in that area, but from what I know, there's also the option of it's called talk time, which they're able to learn about the Lord should they choose to. Now if the, if the children don't choose to, they're not told to leave. So it's, it is number one, it's a safe place for our children in this community.
Rosemary:
And then, yeah, there's different projects going on. We have Step Up Construction that actually go out into the community and have contracts with people, some bigger city companies and some smaller, just private households. The group at Step up actually just did my backsplash in my kitchen. Wow, super. I'm super blessed. And like, truthfully, what would have been like a $3,000 job was a gift. And like, I just want to praise and just lift up Step Up Construction. And if anybody's listening and they know or they don't know of Step Up Construction, please look us up.
Rosemary:
And there's always room for contracts and they're looking for work. So.
Shannon Steeves:
Yeah, that's so awesome. I met a couple weeks ago, Tom. Is he the one who oversees Step Up?
Rosemary:
Yes.
Shannon Steeves:
Yeah. And I was like, this is so cool. As you know, know a social enterprise in the community, being able to, you know, employ youth is kind of what he was sharing or youth that are, are growing into adults and that work experience and that just like relationship. That's so huge.
Rosemary:
It is so huge. I didn't speak a lot about community ministry, so I'll just quickly talk about that.
Shannon Steeves:
Yeah.
Rosemary:
There's four of us that have that role and it looks different for all four, but for me, I went into it not knowing again what one day is going to look like. But the Lord has definitely set in my path a specific ministry, and that is to sit and to give a hand of help to women who are struggling with addiction, not just addiction, struggling within the system of cfs. Some real huge concerns I'm able to advocate in court. I'm not a lawyer, obviously, I'm not a, you know, counselor, but God just really has me building relationships with women who trust me. And that's huge because trust is really hard for. For a lot of our. A lot of our families. So.
Rosemary:
Yeah.
Shannon Steeves:
Wow. Thank you for sharing that. And I. I would imagine that a huge part of that trust comes from, you know, some of your own lived experience in being able to truly relate. Right. And understand some of what they're going through. Yeah. Can you, I guess, kind of going back to a little bit of just your journey, and you mentioned a previous time.
Shannon Steeves:
You know, where does it start for you, I guess as a youth or young adult with your story?
Rosemary:
Well, number one, I'm a product of a broken home. So I had just been living with my mom, and respectfully speaking, my mom and my biological dad and my stepdad, we've all found healing throughout our relationship. But at the end of the day, I suffered. I went through a lot of abuse, sexual abuse at the hands of my uncle, actually. And I had that because my innocence was taken from me, which we see a lot with families with children. What happens then is we lose our sense of identity before we even get to know who we are. So that's what happened to me and ended up going out onto the streets. I did spend some time in cfs, so I was.
Rosemary:
And forgive me if I jump around a bit, but what happened with me is I didn't open up about the abuse until a little later on. And when I did, I wasn't believed. And we hear a lot of that, too. Children are just not believed. And there's nothing worse than finding the courage to speak up only to be shut down. So when that happened, I kind of just gave up. And what that looked like for me was, okay, I. And I am going to be raw here.
Rosemary:
When I talk, I'm just going to go out. And I was introduced to people that taught me how to do things such as stand on the corner and prostitute. And that's exactly what I did. I was 12. I was 12 when I took my first crack Hoot. So I started to smoke crack at 12. That obviously caused a lot of confusion. And I went on my years from 12 to, I want to say 20, 21, smoking crack throughout those years, rather than staying stuck in this part, I just want to say that I got out of it.
Rosemary:
Praise be to God, I got out of it. But I didn't just get out of it and find healing so fast. So the testimony continues. I had to learn how to forgive. I had to learn who I was. I actually had to learn how to think again because a lot of cognitive stuff happened right when you're. When you're 12 and your frontal lobe is still growing and you're smoking hard drugs, it was affected. So, yeah, I was getting to know myself at 21 years old, which isn't horrible.
Rosemary:
So essentially I got out of it a lot earlier than a lot of the people that I was out with. They're either rest in peace, like they're either passed away or still out there or in jail.
Shannon Steeves:
Wow. Thank you for sharing that and being raw and honest about what you've walked through. And I'm just honored to sit hear that story. That's incredible what you've been through. But like you alluded to, there have been a time or times where God met you. Can you talk to us a little bit about what that has looked like and how what those turning points were, I guess, in your life?
Rosemary:
Yes, well, I actually was approached. So through the years of me being on the streets and back then, it was so prominent. We would always be on the corners. Right. Nowadays you don't really see it. It's all online, it's hidden. But through those years, there was a bus called the Love Lives Here bus. And the ministry is still alive and well, but they have a trailer.
Rosemary:
Back then, on the weekends, they would drive around and they would. They would pursue us gently. Okay. And so this is more than a story, but this is actually something that when I. When I talk about, I'm just reminded of God's goodness and how important we as his hands and feet are. Because if that woman, I don't remember her name, didn't ever really see her again, but if she wouldn't have got off of the bus. So anyways, what they did was they would park the bus. Cold weather, they'd bring hot chocolate, chili, whatever, to the corners, to where we would stand, and they would try to talk to us.
Shannon Steeves:
Wow.
Rosemary:
So that's just kind of like a little bit of what that looked like. Now, this one particular weekend, I was upset, I was angry. I wasn't getting picked up the Johns were driving around, and they were just being jerks. And so this one lady, she was pursuing me, right? And I kept telling her to f off, like, leave me alone, lady. Like, you're ruining, you know, whatever business I thought I had. And again, I'm talking just really raw. I'm not glorifying it. So I'm thinking to myself, like, leave me alone.
Rosemary:
And I told her, right? I was. I was just rude. I was mean. I was. I was not thinking about her. I was thinking about myself. But just as Christ pursues us, she. She stood back like she was, you know, at.
Rosemary:
You know, she. I could tell she was using some discernment, now that I look back. But she would come back. She would come back. Are you ready for prayer? Can we pray or not even that. Like, can you. You want a sandwich? So this one particular time, back to that time, I said, fine. Like, I'll take a sandwich.
Rosemary:
She's like, are you cold? And so I went on the bus, and they prayed for me. And so when they were praying for me, I wish I could say that after that night, I didn't ever look back. That's not often the situation. But that was a seed planted. And so I felt different. And it was like my mind, right, because the battle always starts in the mind. My mind started to think things. I started to have different thoughts, like, oh, these people actually took their time to pray with me.
Rosemary:
And that prayer just felt good. And it was more than just a feeling. It was in my core. That was one of the times that the Lord met me through somebody else. I've also had a radical encounter with the Holy Spirit. And so that particular time was just so beautiful. And several years after, I actually volunteered on that same bus, and for about three or four years, I would volunteer, I got to know Heather Barefoot. She's actually the director of Love Lives Here ministry and her husband Ted, and the people who drove the bus.
Rosemary:
Now, what they did was each encounter that they would make with us girls on the street, they would document it. They would write it down. So I was able to go back after I got, like, got to know them. They took me back to the late 1990s, slash early 2000s, and I was able to read, like, three recordings of when they would talk to me and how they would pray behind the scenes. Like, come on, right? How. How do we. How do we deny that the Lord isn't real?
Shannon Steeves:
Wow. If that's not an encouragement to people, like, I don't know what is. Because you said it. He's like, it wasn't a light switch after that first, first, you know, prayer, that first encounter, it was seeds being planted over time and, you know, someone saying, yes, being obedient to what God had called them to do and asked them to do, and just show up on the bus and now, like, look at what he's done in your life since then. It's unbelievable.
Rosemary:
It is, yeah.
Shannon Steeves:
We could end it there and be okay, but I have more questions. Okay, so you, you mentioned serving on with that ministry, with that team on the bus. How has, you know, what you've been through and walked through, then connected into wanting to continue serving community? Like, how did it go from that to then kind of here, where you're at now?
Rosemary:
Well, the more I get closer to the Lord, which is a daily thing, the more I see there are people dying physically, spiritually, the most. And how can I, how can I live out my life to glorify God if I don't choose to try to reach the lost? Because if he did it for me, he will do it for you or whoever's listening or whoever's out there right now. If, if he did it for me, he can do it for them, he can do it for. And we're not even just talking about addicts. We're talking about people who may have bondage in other ways. Any kind of idol in your life. There are people dying. And so, yeah, I, I'm blessed to be here.
Rosemary:
I say it all the time. And I'm not just saying it. I'm humbled because I shouldn't even be alive yet I am.
Shannon Steeves:
Yeah. How did you get to icya? Because I know there's significance in like, the neighborhood that you're physically in through work. And part of your story. How did you get there?
Rosemary:
So for the last 15. 15 years, I worked in social services, right. So I was in group homes and I was sitting at work, looked at, you know, actually somebody mentioned inner city youth alive at church not too long before I. I was online and I happened to just come across the job posting. And so I applied not too long after. And it was actually a long process. Like, I didn't just get hired. They interviewed me once, interviewed me twice, interviewed me a third time.
Rosemary:
Now. The thing about ICY is I used to live in this area, the North End. I would walk by this building and wonder what it was. I didn't ever talk to anybody, but I would walk by literally on my way to the street corner. And so. Wow, right? So here I am, and I'm still Wowed. I'm still wowed at how now I'm on the other side, not because I'm better, but because now there's that scripture that comes to mind. We are overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony.
Rosemary:
So he needs, he needs to use us. He wants to use us. And so, yeah, so that's what happened. So I got hired September 2022. It was just six months after actually, so it wasn't. Oh, I applied and I got it.
Shannon Steeves:
I guess you are in a space where you're quite literally walking with people who are going through some stuff, going through challenges, like you said, addiction and whatnot. I think sometimes we as people can overcomplicate what it means to just love people and serve people. Like, I think sometimes we think we need to have all this experience and training and do all this stuff. And don't get me wrong, training's great, but we don't have to have a degree to go and love people. We don't have to have had a five year career doing xyz. Like, we just have to show up. Right. And I guess, can you speak to what that is like? Not to say you don't have experience, but to the ordinary person who maybe doesn't know how to just say yes to what God is or maybe God's putting something on their heart.
Shannon Steeves:
Like what it. Like what would you, I guess, nudge them towards if they're in that place of like, I don't know if I really can. I don't know if I really can love that way. Like, what would you tell them?
Rosemary:
Yeah. So because God qualifies us to do his work, right. Paul talks about it a lot in the New Testament. It's not supposed to be rainbows and butterflies either. Yeah, there's going to be some, some hard times. There's going to be some times where. And there are a lot of times in my life, especially now, the last three years, I've had more battle than ever. But that actually means I'm on the right, I'm on the right track, not because God wants me to suffer, but because we do have an enemy.
Rosemary:
And so things pop up. But yes, I would say to those that might be feeling like they have something to give, that they want to help because we all should be right. That's why we're called the church. We're called the body for a reason. And none of us are going to be called to do the same thing. But I would just say trust in the Lord. Back to what I was saying trust in the Lord. Lean on his understanding, not your own.
Shannon Steeves:
Yeah, yeah, that's so good. And you already mentioned where I wanted to kind of ask more about was the church. Where does the church fit into all this? I know you see a lot of needs and, you know, people are going through things and they need just practical support sometimes or just, you know, friendship. Where do you see the church fitting into, serving the community or how do you see it maybe is a better question.
Rosemary:
Well, I'm going to just speak from my heart, from what I see. And so just ahead of time, if there are people who may not like it or agree or disagree, that's fine. But thankfully I'm on the podcast, so. Right. I think that we have come a long way as a church, but not nearly far as we need to be. And so when we were talking about not too long ago about Care Portal and about how many churches in Winnipeg, so I know there are a couple more churches that have been added on. Right. But when we think about all the churches in this city, there's a lot.
Rosemary:
I don't know the exact number. I'm sure you probably know more.
Shannon Steeves:
I think it's somewhere around 300 or so. Yeah.
Rosemary:
Right. Okay. Versus. So 300 churches versus how many are on the care portal?
Shannon Steeves:
Yeah. 10 to 12 or so.
Rosemary:
That's a concern. That's a concern. And I can say it because I don't work for Care Portal, so nobody can get mad at you guys. They can come at me. But I think that's Care Portal alone. But, like, in general, when I see a lot of the churches in this area, so in the inner city, just to make a positive turn, here, they are involved. Right. So I also run a food bank out of my church.
Rosemary:
I'm not the only one who runs a food bank. We have food banks out of Living Word Temple just down the street. Springs Inner City. So we are making an effort for things like that. I do think that when it comes to basic understanding and relationship building, we really need more work.
Shannon Steeves:
Yeah. And I think that's such a good point because it. I think I've talked about this with someone on a previous episode. It can be sometimes easy to, like, give stuff or do the things, but when it comes to, like, sitting with somebody and just like, being present in their story, that can be where we need some improvement as a, you know, as the church. And what do you think that could look like? I guess, based on what you see, what are some ways people in churches or just church in general can can do better at that. Relational. Just caring for people.
Rosemary:
Well, I think, again, speaking for my home church, and hopefully it doesn't sound biased, but we do sit. We'll sit with people. I think that, number one, the second we think we have an us versus them mentality, we're already losing also because of this whole truth and reconciliation thing. And you can keep this or edit it out. I do think that the church, many churches do want to reconcile, but it's done in kind of still kind of keeping people victimized. And again, this is just my take. I'm not into, like, I'm not trying to speak for anybody else. I think that there's that part of trying to keep people victimized still in that victim state, as well as not educating ourselves enough about that.
Rosemary:
And what the residential schoolings did, what that really. What the impact really is.
Shannon Steeves:
Yeah.
Rosemary:
So I think that there's like, different. It's like a different spectrum. It's from one extreme to the next, in my view.
Shannon Steeves:
Yeah, that's, I think, really insightful to think about that us and them mentality. And, you know, you bring such a deep understanding of dignity, I think, in the way that you serve and the way you love people, I guess. What do you wish more people understood about those who are facing addiction or homelessness or some other significant crisis?
Rosemary:
Well, what my hope would be and what my prayer is, is. And we're, I guess we're talking more. I'm. I'm speaking more to believers, is that we, number one, get off of our high horse. And I mean that out of love, because I've been on a high horse too, a few times, and I've been knocked down, I've been humbled. And I think when we see the big picture, where trauma comes, what trauma causes, it looks different for everybody. And again, like I said earlier, addiction doesn't just mean drugs and alcohol. Addiction's living up in the suburbs with lots of money that, you know, people are gambling, people are addicted to pornography.
Rosemary:
We're talking about rich people as well. And so when we have an understanding that it's also us and it just looks different, then maybe they could see an addict on the street or somebody homeless and be like, wow, there's really not much of a difference between the two of us.
Shannon Steeves:
Right. Yeah. That's so good. We could talk a lot about addiction, too. But it's that the problem, you know, the stuff we see, the drugs or the alcohol or the pornography or whatever, the stuff, that's not really the issue. It's deeper Within. And there's likely trauma there and some wounding and. And healing that really is needing to happen.
Shannon Steeves:
And I think when we humanize people and really, truly just see someone, it's like, oh, yeah, you know, I. I see you in me, too. And like, I'm.
Rosemary:
I'm.
Shannon Steeves:
I just want to be here, wrap it up here towards the end. I guess one question I have for you is when things feel heavy in work or in life, I guess, what gives you hope for community? What. What keeps you going?
Rosemary:
Okay, what keeps me going? Seeing women who are choosing to show up for themselves every day, no matter what that looks like. But the. The successes, the victories that come out of that, and seeing families reunited like children being brought back to their families. I have a specific friend, longtime friend, actually, who just got through treatment. She's doing great. She is. She's choosing to get through all that stuff. We were just talking about trauma.
Rosemary:
She's choosing to dig at those roots of trauma so that she can leave a better legacy for her children. And it shows, right? There's. There's evidence of God in her life. She sees it. She acknowledges it, and. And she knows. She also knows that that doesn't mean things are going to be perfect, but just to see that light switch go on in her spirit, that's encouraging. So, yeah, it's not all bad.
Rosemary:
Yeah.
Johan Heinrichs:
Yeah.
Shannon Steeves:
Is there anything that you feel it's on your heart to share that I haven't given you the opportunity to say yet? Anything. You just feel what to say?
Rosemary:
Well, I said a lot. I think that. Yeah, I'm just thankful. I'm thankful that you thought of me to bring me on. And again, anytime I can share what God has done in my life and I can actually speak about how it happened or whatnot, I pray that that gives hope to people who knows where you're at in your life. But, yeah, just. Just to encourage people who are listening that God is alive and he's real. He's alive and he.
Rosemary:
He wants to move in our lives.
Shannon Steeves:
It's beautiful. Rosemary, your story is such a reminder that extraordinary care often looks like just showing up, loving people and just being faithful to where God has placed you. And so thank you. Thank you for being here and thank you for sharing your story.
Rosemary:
Thank you so much.
Johan Heinrichs:
The stories we share here remind us that care doesn't have to be perfect to be powerful. It just has to be present. Neighbourly is an initiative of Care Impact, a Canadian charity equipping churches, agencies, and communities with tech and training to care better together visit CareImpact CA or to find out more about the podcast sponsorships, being a guest, or just dropping us a line, visit Neighborly Podcast ca. We'd love to hear from you. Check the show notes for the link or hop on our Care Impact Podcast group on Facebook to join our podcast community. I'm Johan. Thanks for listening and keep being the kind of neighbor someone will never forget. In a good way.
SONG:
Out the bridges between the stones of these Turning on the tables breaking off chains When I see you in a stranger I'm no longer slaves tearing down walls Building under bridges between us all.

JOHAN HEINRICHS