www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, June 26, 2015 | 10 Vision without action is just a dream, O'Dea tells OCF by Nathan Howes Special to the Beaver Hope. Vision. Action. That's how Frank O'Dea went from a life of destitution as a teen living on Toronto streets to success as an entrepreneur and philanthropist. O'Dea shared his story as the keynote speaker at the Oakville Community Foundation's annual general meeting June 17 at Glen Abbey Golf Club. "Three words that the Oakville Community Foundation really understands -- hope, vision and action. Without hope, we can have no vision, but vision without action is simply a dream," said O'Dea. The Body Shaping Fitness Studio For Women SPeCIal 2 MontH SuMMer MeMberSHIP july & auguSt adult Students & Seniors *All classes included. Frank O'Dea, co-founder of Second Cup, speaks about his success at the Oakville Community Foundation annual general meeting at the Glen Abbey Golf Club June 17. | photo by Nikki Wesley Oakville Beaver $ 125.00 $ 85.00 Ideal ProteIn ClInIC Ideal Protein... a Quick, Healthy & Fun weight loss program for Men and Women! no exercise required! largest product seletion in oakville! no Consultation or Weigh in Fees! 183 Lakeshore Road W., Oakville | 905.849.1919 | www.bodyshapingstudio.com Doctors recommend the kyBoot "kyBoots help you keep balance and activate your muscles, from your toes to your back: they are helpful in the treatment of pain in the heels and forefeet, and are a method of choice to support the treatment of pain in the Achilles tendon and back." - Dr. Markus Müller, specialist in orthopaedic surgery, foot surgery practitioner, Lucerne "Hope, vision and action brought the Oakville Community Foundation to where it is and it brought me from skid row to Glen Abbey Golf Club." The former Oakville resident grew up in west Montreal and discovered alcohol at age 13, O'Dea recalled. Five years later, drinking was a "serious difficulty" for him and his family. "By the time I was 21, my dad sat me down in the den of our home and said, `Frank, for the good of the family, you've got to go. You've got to leave and you've got to leave today,'" said O'Dea. O'Dea's father got him a job as a paint salesperson in Toronto. He moved into an apartment in Oakville and travelled through southwestern Ontario as part of his job. "After a few months, I started to drink and before long, I lost that job, the next job and the next job. The last little job I had was delivering flyers on the streets of Toronto," said O'Dea. He then landed a job with Exclusive Paints, which involved taking paint cans out of the cellar and placing them on the shelf. "Izzy (Reingewertz (store founder) saved my life. He didn't know it and neither did I, but he saved my life," said O'Dea. "He had a radio in his store. There was a commercial for alcoholism and the tagline said, `If you're having a problem with alcohol, call us. We're in the book.' As I was taking paint cans out of the cellar, I kept hearing, `Call us, we're in the book.'" Months later, O'Dea reached a point where "I had to either die or change. Suicide was a constant thought," he said. "It felt like I traded off everything I learned as a kid, every value my parents had taught me. It seemed to me I traded everything off and the only choices were die or change." One day, the would-be philanthropist went to King and Yonge streets and held out his hand. A pedestrian walking by dropped a dime in his hand, which O'Dea used to make a phone call and "I never had another drink," he said. see We on p.16 Opening soon! Gourmet Vegan Grub Breakfast Lunch Dinner KyBoots will help you with.... · Back Pain · Improving circulation · Knee pain · Strengthening muscles · Foot conditions · Improving posture Enjoy a FREE Kyboot walking test, at the Medicine Shoppe on Lakeshore Rd. East Pharmacist/Owner Richard Price 2460 Neyagawa Blvd, Oakville, Unit 9 267 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville Mon.-Fri. 10-6, Sat. 9-1 A Trusted name in Oakville for over 20 years! www.kybun.com Vegan · gluten Free · eatery 905.842.2770 Follow us: @vegebitez