Meet Angela

Angela, or as her grandchildren call her, “Noggy”, is deeply cherished by her family and community for her kind, generous spirit.  

In her early years, she moved around a lot. Her father was a WW2 and Korean war veteran who struggled with addiction, so Angela’s mother often brought her to the family farm to give her space. Unfortunately, she was abused several times by other relatives who stayed there, and she suffered silently. 

Angela became a young mom and moved out on her own at age 20. She enrolled at community college with plans to do professional drafting, but they were cut short when she was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 disorder.  

But Angela sought help from her doctor, psychiatrist and several United Way donor-funded programs along the way, including the Fairview Resource Centre. They helped connect her to parenting support, food programs, skills development, and provided her with crucial connection to peers through drop-in and social clubs.

Now, Angela has overcome years of adversity and is an excellent mother, grandmother and community member. She gives back as much as she receives; always known to arrive with a bag of “goodies” for her friends and other program participants, and a contagious laugh and smile.

“I am a survivor and a conqueror. I live with Bipolar, but it doesn’t control me. I want to thank United Way for 42 years of support – I’m extremely proud of how far I have come.”

Angela shared her story at Songs of the City 2024, and Freya Milliken wrote and performed a song about her called “Earth Angel”.