Sunn overcame obstacles, turned life around in an award-winning lifestyle change
- Jeanelle Mandes | October 25, 2015
Jorgina Sunn has survived the nightmare of foster homes, addictions and gang life. The lessons learned in those difficult times have made her a better person and now she dedicates her life to helping people change for the better. Recently, Sunn was awarded the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples Aboriginal Order of Canada in recofnition of her outstanding work.
The accomplished
musician and activist works with STR8UP 10,000 Little Steps to Healing and her
work there caught the eye of Kim Beaudin, President of the Coalition of
Aboriginal Peoples Saskatchewan and who also works with Sunn. He nominated her
for the prestigious award.
“I was really struck
with the life struggles she had overcome and as I got to know her more and
thought ‘wow this person has really overcome a lot’ and she can certainly send
a positive message for Aboriginal people to understand when you hit rock
bottom, you can get up and you can make a better life for yourself,” says
Beaudin.
Sunn started this
path when she began her own healing. She leads an alcohol and drug-free life and
is going onto her fourth year of sobriety. When she heard that she was going to
receive the award, she felt overwhelmed and shocked.
“From where I’ve been
in my life having gone through addiction, through the foster care system,
experiencing abuses and dysfunction in my childhood to being incarcerated…it’s
a great honour.”
Since then, she’s
been focusing her time working with many non-profit organizations such as STR8UP,
Riverbend Integrated Community Ministries as well as focusing on her greatest
passion, music. She incorporates her songs into her community presentations to
inspire others to pick up a lifestyle of healthiness. Her performance at the
FSIN Strength of Spirit awards left many in the audience with tears in their
eyes. She intends to release an album in late spring with all of her own songs
on it.
“I really strive to
attract people to the idea that in order to be successful, you have to be
successful in your own life,” she says. “You can change your life, there is
help and there are people out there who understand and will absolutely help you
if you ask for it.”
Beaudin says he comes
across people who struggle each and every day that Jorgina tries to help and
that is why he believes Sunn was a great nominee for the award.
“I believe she’s
going to move on to even better things down the road.”