Banding together in dark times

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This article was published 12/02/2023 (1306 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Century 21 Bachman & Associates’ annual bake sale had become a staple in the local real estate agency’s office around the Christmas season.

Sweets and goodies of all types were prepared by the best bakers in the company, with the mission of raising proceeds to be donated to a local charity. Last year, however, the focus of the bake sale changed in the name of the office rallying behind one its own amid an extensive grieving process.

One real estate agent within the company, typically the sole organizer of the yearly initiative, lost her 44-year-old daughter on Oct. 11, 2022, owing to what she described as mental health and addiction.

The agent, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the situation, said her daughter, also unnamed, had been improperly medicated for her mental health issues for much of her adult life. She turned to drugs as an escape but was ultimately unable to escape its grip upon digging herself too deep.

She was survived by her 15-year-old son, who was often cared for by his grandmother as his mom battled addiction.

“Respect and compassion aren’t gifts, they’re the least we owe each other,” the real estate agent told the Free Press earlier in a prepared statement. “I think society as a whole forgets people suffering from addiction are someone’s daughter, son, mother, father, brother or sister. Shedding light on the disease of addiction is my goal. And it is a disease. It’s ok to be vulnerable yet courageous.

The agent conceded her relationship with her daughter was rocky at many points, largely owing to the latter’s ongoing bout with bipolar disorder and struggles with addiction.

Following her daughter’s death, a client informed the grieving mother of Sara Riel, a Winnipeg-based mental health and addictions organization that has had an expanding role in aiding the city’s homeless population.

“I’d like to assist in breaking down barriers to help reduce the horrible stigma attached to substance abuse by bringing it out of the shadows and into our collective consciousness. It’s unfortunately too late for my daughter. Having said that, I feel by getting involved with Sara Riel, it will not only help others but will help me through my grieving process,” the agent said.

The non-profit became the beneficiary of last year’s bake sale, with Century 21 Bachman & Associates raising $5,000 to be donated to the organization. A cheque was presented on Jan. 23 to commemorate their efforts.

“We’re a family here… and that’s really only something that’s said until something like this happens and then we really come together,” said Max Bachman, president of Century 21 Bachman & Associates. “When we found out that there was something from an extended community outside of our office that she was passionate about, we were on board 100 per cent.

“(Sara Riel) kind of encapsulates all that she’s been through and it also rounds out that it’s not just the person dealing with the addictions and mental health who suffers, it’s also those around them.”

In the last several months, Sara Riel has expanded exponentially, taking on partnerships with Winnipeg’s Siloam Misson and Equal Housing Initiative. The latter is in the process of retrofitting the McLaren Hotel into a housing-first model, for which Sara Riel will help in providing wrap-around support.

“The beautiful part of this story is here’s a company that looks after housing but looks after housing for everyone, including people that have mental health and addictions challenges and issues,” said Tara Snider, executive director for Sara Riel.

“So when you get Century 21 Bachman (& Associates) coming out and supporting you, it means so much to me because we are actually able to help people who need it most. The donation they are giving us is providing us with the ability to be able to go and find what people need, whether it’s just ID or being put on employment insurance or having enough money where they can find a room to live.”

Snider estimates the non-profit began by helping about 30 people find and secure some type of shelter or housing. It plans for that number to grow to 200 people by the end of April.

“Since COVID, you’re seeing a large increase in the number of people who are homeless, a large increase in the number of people who are turning to drugs, substance abuse and alcohol and a lot of people who are suffering because of what it’s done to them mentally,” Snider added.

“When you get other companies that are working in housing coming forward and addressing the homelessness issue, it doesn’t feel so much like it’s people on the front line, it feels like it’s a whole community coming together. And that’s important because this is everyone’s problem.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca