A program to help people on social assistance get help to overcome their addictions has been cut by the provincial government.

Fresh Start was launched in 2006 as part of the province's Addiction Services Initiative.

London was one of 21 communities across Ontario to receive a portion of the $9.4 million in funding. That funding ended Wednesday.

"It's very disappointing," said Linda Sibley, executive director for Addiction Services of Thames Valley (ADSTV).

"I think because we had such an amazing partnership with the City of London, Ontario Works department. We mutually designed this program [Fresh Start], we have a strong working partnership."

Fresh Start saw more than 350 people get off Ontario Works and find employment. More than 300 participants also ended up receiving disability support because they were unable to work, but they tackled their addiction.

Paulie O'Byrne entered the Fresh Start program in 2013 and says it changed his life.

"I'm using things now that I learned in the Fresh Start program, just about communicating with people," he said. "For the rest of time we're going to have to communicate with people and we better do it with a little bit of compassion, because when they take away programs like this, we should start investing in funeral homes. We're going to see a decline in people reaching out for services and an incline in people going to funeral homes."

O'Byrne credits the counselling he received through Fresh Start for helping him overcome sexual abuse and trauma from his childhood that led to drug and alcohol abuse.

"They gave me my security back, to be who I want to be," he said. "I'm not confined to an addiction now, I'm not waking up every day wondering where I'm going to get my next high, where I'm going to steal the money from. I wake up now and I go to work. It's a pretty cool thing."

O'Byrne is now sober, a father, and a hockey coach. He lives and works in Goderich.

Sibley says people on Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program will still be able to seek help at ADSTV, but there will be fewer resources available.

The government says the program's success rate wasn't strong enough for ongoing funding and that they're working on a new model of care.