Creating happy holiday tears
Westcoast Family Centre helps overcome barriers and makes good things happen
Through the 12 years I was employed as editor-in-chief of The Province, I would dutifully attend the Empty Stocking Fund cheque presentation ceremony each November.
After a few modest speeches, the money would be allotted to the organizations that, year after year, rely heavily on the kindness of Province readers who donate so generously to the ESF.
At the end of the evening, the mingling would be reduced to conversations that were heartfelt in their desire to give back: “Wayne, you really should come and see what we do.”
These were modest requests — ones that I fully intended to see through to conclusion. As editor of The Province, I thought often I ought to follow the money; I ought to see the toy depot or the Sally Ann kitchen; I ought to do more than just hand out the cheques.
The limp and bogus excuse of ‘time’ always seemed to get in the way.
Wednesday night, I did follow the money — straight to the front door of an open house at the Westcoast Family Centres Society on East Broadway.
This open house is now in its eighth year thanks entirely to your donations to the ESF.
It’s become almost a cliché to suggest organizations that enrich our communities through giving and volunteering are doing God’s work, but on evenings like Wednesday at Westcoast Family Centres, describing the open house as anything but God’s work would only serve to diminish the magnificence of the gathering.
There’s nothing like watching the power of money when it does good things. There was food, singing, crafts, gifts, games and Santa Claus. This splendid gathering on this cold December night was called an open house, but it felt like a party. The love in the room was palpable. “We provide support for families that are dealing with a great range of issues,” says Freeza Anand, director of development for the Westcoast Family Centres Society. “These families may be managing trauma, loss, violence, mental health. … They come to us for support, counselling, education and a variety of other therapeutic services.”
Paul Sheaves is a program manager with the society. On this day, he is the most popular man in room. On this day, he is Santa Claus.
“Sometimes, it’s just about being able to do one nice thing — a good thing that makes families happy,” he tells me from behind his bushy white beard. “We so often have to be serious about the work we do, but today, at this open house, we can leave all that behind.”
I asked to meet a client of Westcoast Family Centres — someone who benefits from the society’s work.
Adele Crosby left a home rife with domestic violence two years ago. She moved from Surrey to Vancouver, where she landed in the care of Westcoast Family Centres. She attended the open house Wednesday with her daughter Pearl, 4, and son Mason, nine months. Adele and Mason live together and will be reunited with Pearl this January.
“This program has helped me so much with my children,” she told me. “They have helped with everything — positive parenting, family counselling. I had to get my life together before reuniting with Pearl and I couldn’t have done it without the support of this organization.”
This will be Adele’s first Christmas with her two beautiful children.
She asked me about the photo you see with this column — if she could get a print.
I told her of course she could, and I would arrange to have it framed. She cried. I wanted to blubber with her, but got lost in the miracle of something so little as framing a picture creating something so beautiful as tears of unbridled joy. We hugged. I called her heroic. “Adele has been so proactive,” Westcoast Family Centres counsellor Morena Mejia told me. “If there was an obstacle that needed to be overcome, she asked for help and that’s where we’d assist — coaching, counselling, troubleshooting, accessing services to help her with income tax or find a doctor or upgrade her skills.
“For me, the biggest reward is being able to see the results, see how the stories end in good ways. When we get the cases at the beginning, they look quite terrible and sad. There are often multiple barriers to overcome. Making good things happen, overcoming those barriers, that’s so rewarding.”
The Empty Stocking Fund runs to the end of the year. Please donate what you can.
And so you know, I’ve followed the money. It goes to good people. Really good people.