鈥淚t never gets easier.鈥�
Andres Parra passed away over a decade ago, but his spirit lives on through the people who love him. He was a talented soccer player and a gifted artist, but he was also a son, a friend, a grandson and a nephew.
He died of a drug overdose at age 23 on May 11, 2007.
Andres鈥� father, Carlos Parra, remembers his son vividly. From his enormous, captivating works of art to his unique, quick sense of humour, the memories feel fresh. His eyes brim with tears as he recalls Andres鈥� contagious laughter, as well as his big heart. So, when Carlos鈥� brother, Jorge Parra, asked if he could start a charity in Andres鈥� name, Carlos agreed.
The Andres Project is now registered as an official not-for-profit society by the B.C. governement. Along with donations from individuals and a couple of corporate donors, the group provides the Downtown Eastside community with everything from baked goods and sandwiches to toiletries and personalized messages of hope.
Jorge Parra and his wife, Izabel Brioschi, originally came up with the idea during a Thanksgiving get-together with friends. The group was discussing mental illness and drug addiction, as well as ways that they could give back to the community and inspire hope.
鈥淚 had a friend that worked in a soup kitchen,鈥� explains Izabel. 鈥淪he said that a lot of people came to get food and also asked for toiletries. They鈥檇 ask for the basic things, like toothpaste and soap. They usually have food there, but the budget doesn鈥檛 stretch that much for other things.鈥�
After the discussion, the group got together to create 鈥榖ags of hope鈥� that are handed out to people living on the Downtown Eastside. Each bag contains body wipes, two pairs of socks, soap, hand/body lotion, shower gel, cotton swabs, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush/toothpaste, and everything is travel sized. In addition, each bag contains a personalized message of hope. The messages are often simple, but they may be the only positive thing that the recipient sees that day, or possibly that week.
The project began in August 2015 and the group handed out 50 bags during the first drop-off. However, as Izabel remarks, 50 bags wasn鈥檛 close to enough.
鈥淲e started with 50 bags and they were gone in about five minutes, and we knew it wasn鈥檛 enough. So, from there we went to 100 bags and now we are doing 200, which costs about $800 dollars a month,鈥� she says.
The group also put up a poster in a Kitsilano Vancity branch that asked for donations, and numerous people responded. One of them was Caroline Oulette, an Air Transat flight attendant, who has donated countless blankets and toiletries with the help of other flight attendants. The blankets are vital in winter, when sleeping on the streets of the Downtown Eastside can be deadly. Vancity has also made large donations, as well as the River Rock Hotel and Casino.
In addition to the bags of hope, the group also distributes food to the community. The food goes quickly, and, sadly, might be the only meal that some people eat that day. Companies such as Starbucks and Cartems have generously supplied baked goods, sandwiches, and other foods, which the group picks up three times a week. After running out of room in their homes, U-Lock Mini Storage in Burnaby donated a storage locker for all of the supplies and food.
鈥淲e also do more bags for men than women 鈥� you鈥檒l see that there are far more men than women on the street,鈥� notes Izabel.
And while programs for men are available, many aren鈥檛 aware of how to access them or the program rules strictly prohibit relapses, and participants are kicked out.
鈥淢y son would go into one rehab and another. He鈥檇 try to get clean and then he鈥檇 relapse again 鈥� but he was trying,鈥� laments Carlos.
During periods when Andres was clean, Carlos says his son would create art and play sports with his dad. Many of his paintings were large and complex, and some of them were even three-dimensional. A couple of his paintings even sold at an exhibit in the United States.
Carlos adds that Andres was an excellent speaker and spoke to kids about addiction and the effect drugs have on an individual. Kids loved him, and he had a significant impact on his young audience. He notes that Andres really tried to help others, even while he was suffering. However, he didn鈥檛 have access to the right treatment.
鈥淸Recovery] is going to be a struggle for the rest of [an addict鈥檚] life. Addicts need a lot of help 鈥� it鈥檚 a mental health issue. If you are cold, you take a shot of your drug of choice, and you鈥檙e not cold anymore. It is the same with hunger, or feelings of despair.鈥�
In their most recent data, the BC Coroner鈥檚 Service reports that during 2016 and 2017, the vast number of people who died as a result of drug overdose tried to seek help for mental health issues. In fact, the results show that over half of the people that died as a result of drug overdose had a clinical diagnosis or anecdotal evidence of a mental health disorder.
鈥淩elapse is common and should be part of treatment,鈥� notes Izabel. 鈥淵ou get in and once you use, you get kicked out.鈥�
Izabel adds that safe places are crucial for individuals who are transitioning out of addiction and may not have the skills to live on their own. Many recovering addicts may not have basic life-skills, let alone resumes to apply for jobs. For example, she knew a man in recovery who didn鈥檛 know how to use a toaster; he had to start over in a number of ways.
鈥淧eople dealing with mental illness, they lose their identity, their support. They can鈥檛 get a job if they don鈥檛 have clothing, or have a place to sleep,鈥� says Izabel.
Izabel emphasizes that small gestures matter, and that the group sees hope whenever they visit the community.
鈥淲e met a man who was living here for 30 years who beat addiction. He said what helped him, besides his grandma visiting him and taking him for coffee twice a year, was people sitting beside him on the sidewalk asking, 鈥楬ow are you?鈥� That kind of thing kept him going. He鈥檚 a father now with two kids, and he鈥檚 working.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 turned his life around.鈥�
In 2010, 211 people died from illicit drug overdose in B.C. In 2018, the province saw 1,489 fatal drug overdoses; 382 people died of drug overdose in the City of 麻豆传媒映画alone.
Males accounted for 80 per cent of all suspected overdose deaths.
In 2007, Andres was one of those deaths. He is remembered for his big personality, his kindness and his warmth. Carlos also misses playing soccer with him.
鈥淲e would always feed off each other to get better and better.鈥�
The Andres Project provides people on the Downtown Eastside with toiletries, food, warmth and, perhaps most importantly, hope.
For more information about The Andres Project visit .
