Memorial used to help homeless

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This article was published 28/11/2021 (1123 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A family has turned its personal tragedy into a way of helping the homeless.

Cassandra Sky Woodhouse-Braun-St. Clair, known as Cassie, was 33 when she died on Nov. 9, of a suspected fentanyl overdose.

While many grieving families will ask relatives and friends to donate to a worthy cause, Cassie’s family decided to request something more tangible for her memorial service Nov. 20.

Shannon St. Clair said they set up a temporary memorial at McKittrick Park, so people could light a candle, sing a song, say a prayer, and say goodbye.

They also asked people to donate winter gear for the homeless, including jackets, ski pants, hats, mitts, scarves, tents, sleeping bags and blankets.

And people did.

“It went very well,” she said. “We’ve got a pickup truck with beautiful winter gear and with toiletries and all sorts of new socks and underwear.

“We made people aware of the crisis in Winnipeg. It’s important people know the kids who are dying aren’t just street kids, they have families who love them and they come from good families. People think this just happens to other people.

“But it happens to people just next door.”

The donations were delivered to Resource Assistance for Youth, known as RAY, on Friday.

Breda Vosters, RAY’s director of grants and information, said they were grateful to get the winter gear donation.

“I think this is the definition of caring for our community,” said Vosters.

“For someone who has just gone through a great loss, they managed to support people they love and support other people who are loved. It is an amazing commentary for this family.

“Our hearts go out to the family.”

Vosters said her organization supports about 1,100 young people who have precarious housing, or are homeless, so many will benefit from getting a new pair of gloves or a warm coat.

She said Cassie was supported at times.

“She was a remarkable artist. We featured one of her art works on the cover page of one of our annual reports. She had a lot of talent.”

St. Clair said her daughter was homeless for a time so she knows what they need when they have no permanent roof over their heads during the winter.

From a young age, Cassie loved to sing and act. She went to art and modelling schools and had parts in school productions.

“As time went on, she slowly slipped away from us, but as distant as she may have become, she never once stopped loving her daughter,” the family wrote in her obituary.

“Her lifestyle no longer fit in with normal society, but she always cared about her families and old friends. She was aware of what she left behind and she definitely regretted it a lot of times.

“Addiction is a steep, downhill path, that is very hard to climb back up, but she was trying.”

The family says they are thankful that for the last few weeks of her life, she was back home and living with her mother.

“She lost herself for a long time, but the real Cassie was still in there and fighting to come back. We feel extremely blessed that we were able to see the real her one last time.”

St. Clair said she is glad many young people will benefit from the donations the family received.

“We couldn’t help Cassie, but we can help somebody else’s child, and this helps us at this time.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca