Cambridge Counselor Quietly Helped Hundreds Beat Addiction

For more than two decades, Marian Best has been the person hurting families call when they don't know where else to turn.

Since 1998, she's worked in addiction counseling in Cambridge, Ontario, helping launch programs like Out of the Cold and The Bridges. Today she continues that work at Porchlight Counselling and Addiction Services, offering support to people seeking recovery on their own terms.

"When you have hope for other people, it's easy to know that you're providing an opportunity, not an expectation," Marian says. She believes there's no single path that works for everyone, and her job is helping people find the approach that fits their life.

Her approach comes from lessons learned early. "We were always taught to do what we can for other people and to always be grateful for what we do have," she explains. "I always think that if you live a grateful life, it's easier to give out kindness."

That gratitude turned volunteer work into a career that has spanned more than 25 years. During that time, she's watched Cambridge's addiction support services grow and evolve, giving people more options and different pathways toward change.

Someone who knew her work nominated Marian for a Random Act of Kindness recognition, describing her as an "everyday angel" who has helped hundreds while deliberately avoiding the spotlight. "She has never accepted her accolades in a public way," the nominator wrote.

Sunny's Take

Marian was genuinely surprised when CambridgeToday showed up at Porchlight with a staycation package for her and her grandchildren, including a hotel stay, flowers, movie night basket, and pizza. "It was just so sweet and something that I wasn't expecting," she said, already looking forward to the pizza night with her grandkids.

The work isn't easy. "It's very rewarding when you see people change and it's heartbreaking for families when they're in it," Marian acknowledges. But she always returns to the same truth: there's always hope.

After 26 years of offering that hope to others, this everyday angel finally got a small token of the gratitude she's earned a thousand times over.