Real Stories: Yes, In My Backyard

This is one of the real life stories that inspired Healing Havens, revealing that truly helping another person have a better experience of life happens one person at a time.

In the heart of Kingston, Ontario, in a neighborhood known as Skeleton Park, a powerful friendship bloomed from a simple act of compassion. When Kim Cormier met David McDonald, he was unhoused and living in uncertainty. Many people might have offered a kind word or moved along ~ but Kim said yes to something far greater.

McDonald, 46, who's been intermittently homeless since 2016, was passing Cormier's house on his e-scooter one summer day when he blew a tire. He asked Cormier, who was working outside on her laptop, if she would watch his belongings for him while he went to Canadian Tire for a new inner tube. A lot of his things had been stolen recently, and he didn't want to lose more.

When he returned, Cormier invited McDonald to stay for dinner with her and her partner, Andrew Embury.

"We hit it off," McDonald said. "Every time we have a conversation, there's laughter."

Cormier and Embury invited McDonald to move into their backyard. His new three-season tent, donated by a sister he hadn't seen in years, had a queen-sized mattress, a sofa, a fridge and carpeting. He cooked over Cormier's outdoor fireplace and knocks on the door to use the washroom or do his laundry.

"She's done more than I can ever say thank you for," McDonald said.

According to Cormier, McDonald gives back in his own way.

"He has very good stories, and he's just friendly and respectful," she said. "It's kind of nice to have someone come in and out, and someone to talk to, and a friend to rely on."

What began as a kind gesture turned into a life-changing bond — a humble, dignified space where David could live safely, regain stability, and begin to heal. 

“I feel very blessed to have met David,” said Kim.“I’m the blessed one,” David replied, sitting beside her.

This isn't just about shelter—this is mutual transformation.

David, once overlooked and excluded, became a cherished friend and neighbor.

Kim, despite living in a comfortable home, found deep emotional connection, meaning, and joy in saying yes to someone society too often says no to.

Their story was featured in the article:"Yes, in my backyard: How a stranger's act of kindness has changed a homeless man's life."

It’s a reminder that:

 Healing isn’t always clinical—it’s relational. You don’t need a system or a title to change a life—just a willingness to open your door. A backyard, a garage, a spare room… all can become sacred ground.

Healing Havens Is Built on Stories Like These

David and Kim embody the very essence of Healing Havens. It’s not about solving “homelessness” as an abstract problem. It’s about seeing people as people, building trust, and offering space that heals in both directions.

This is what Leviticus 25:35 looks like in the modern world:

“...help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you.”

David continues to live not just among ~ but with ~ a community that now sees him, values him, and walks beside him.

Kim and a friend came up with an idea to let McDonald stay there all winter — an insulated "micro home" that he'll one day be able to call his own.

Kim says she got the idea from a local organization she's involved with called Our Livable Solutions, which is in the early stages of planning a community of tiny houses to give Kingston's estimated 400 homeless people a permanent place to live.

She launched an online fundraising campaign to raise the $18,000 needed for McDonald's new 80-square-foot living space.

Kim is a great example of a Good Samaritan.