Andy's story of faith, friendship and father figures with the Salvation Army
Andy's story of faith, friendship and father figures with the Salvation Army
The life-changing power of mentors and mates
As Father’s Day approaches, Andy’s story shows how faith, friendship and the guidance of father figures can transform lives. In 2012, he appeared to have it all — a loving wife, four beautiful children, and a demanding but rewarding business. He was a keen road cyclist, independent, capable, and had even competed in ultramarathons around the world. Yet despite these achievements, something was missing.
A running partner, Graham, who remains a strong influence in Andy's life, sensed his restlessness. Going the extra mile in their friendship, Graham encouraged Andy to search for faith and purpose. Graham, who had served as a Baptist pastor for many years, suggested Andy check out a Salvation Army venture called Streetlevel in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.
Streetlevel offers meals, counselling, referrals, showers, faith services and, most importantly, a sense of community. Some are connected with nearby Salvation Army homelessness or addiction recovery services. Others are simply locals struggling with homelessness, disconnection or financial stress. Andy says that when he first walked in, he instantly felt at home.
Purpose revealed
Andy began visiting and helping at Streetlevel and soon formed strong friendships. In many ways, Salvation Army officer Bryce Davies, who founded the service, and Paul Maunder, who still runs it today, not only became friends but also mentors. Both men, Andy says, modelled faith in action. They didn’t preach. They simply walked beside him, encouraged him and cared.
Through that process, the faith Andy had walked away from after a family tragedy began to re-ignite.
“I grew up in a happy family who served in the Anglican Church,” he says. “But when I was 18, my mum had a massive brain haemorrhage and passed away in the vicar’s vestry while helping someone else. That was a turning point for me in faith. I just thought, that doesn’t make sense. How could a loving God do this to a family that does so much?”
In time, Andy not only became a soldier (member) of The Salvation Army but also a mentor and friend to others in need of hope and direction.
Sometime after he started volunteering, Andy noticed a young Streetlevel regular had disappeared. He discovered the man was back in prison and decided to visit him. His first prison visit in November 2013 was a “huge culture shock”.
“What I saw beyond the bars, a lack of support, trust and opportunity, was even more confronting,” he says. “People were almost set up to fail.”
Andy quickly realised many leave prison with almost nothing — no clothes beyond what they wore inside, no phone, no ID, no safe place to go.
Struggles beyond the bars
“One day early on, someone asked me to find accommodation for a prisoner so he could be paroled. I thought, ‘That’s an easy job’,” Andy says. “It took me six months. I knocked and knocked on doors. In the end, I went to politicians. I could not believe how hard it was.”
From those beginnings, a team of volunteers formed, including Andy’s wife, Christine. At one point, they were supporting people in up to eight prisons, offering post-prison transition support such as clothing, housing, mental health referrals and emotional care. Often, this work was alongside Salvation Army prison chaplains, who visit 5,400 people in prisons each year.
Andy explains that many who exit prison have never had a stable home or support network.
“In fact, most have had the opposite — abuse, pain, instability and no one who ever truly cared,” he says. “The stories are horrific. Many of them are heartbreaking.”
It is not an easy role, but it is meaningful, and Andy has seen many lives changed. On top of his post-prison care, after a team bike ride from Sydney to Brisbane to raise funds for the Salvos, Andy and two others also launched a social and fundraising enterprise called Salvos Recycle Bikes. The enterprise recently celebrated five years and has gone from strength to strength.
Believing in good through bad times
The past few years have forced Andy to accept some help and slow down in areas.
“In the last two and a half years I’ve had some serious health issues,” Andy says. “I had what they call silent heart attacks. Then they found cancer. I had six months of chemo and two years of immunotherapy. Then I got … pneumonia.” On top of that, Andy lost his sister to cancer and, more recently, a dear friend of 50 years.
“I did put my hand up because I was struggling,” he says. “But family’s been amazing. Friends have been amazing. People checking in, picking me up from treatment. It’s been unbelievable.”
Andy appreciates more than ever what it means to have, and to be, a real mate and mentor, saying, “You need some very, very close people you can call at any time. And I’ve got those people!”
A father’s reflection
This Father’s Day, Andy says his deepest life regret is being so caught up in work during his children’s earlier years that he wasn’t present as much as he should have been. Passionately proud of his now adult children and still deeply in love with his wife, Andy is making up for lost time and relishing every opportunity to spend quality time with them.
These days, he can’t carry the same load he once did. He spends more time with family and has a weekly day of rest. But he still walks alongside a few special friends through the post-prison ministry and helps where he can.
“I can only give a hand-up, not a handout, to a few. But if that flows through to children, communities and future generations, it’s worth it.
“I’m so blessed in this ministry. There are some amazing stories. We’ve witnessed incredible transformations and met some truly amazing human beings.”
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