Providing a Safe Space

Melina has a very personal reason for the work she does.

As Integration Lead at Hospice Waterloo Region, Melina works to provide support to men in House of Friendship’s ShelterCare program who are struggling with the grief that comes with losing a loved one to an overdose. 

And Melina can provide that support to others because she has lived through it herself. 

“I lost so many people to drug poisoning,” said Melina. “It started when my son’s friend died at the tender age of 17.

“It just gave me a sense of purpose and meaning to take all this sadness, anger, and shock I was experiencing.

I refused to let them die without being able to honour them.”

Melina helps guide the men in ShelterCare who are experiencing this kind of grief. 

“I remember the first group session I held, and it was only a couple of people,” said Melina. “But I’m finding more and more the men are coming in and they want to talk.”

Men in the ShelterCare program have often experienced a series of losses by the time they become homeless.

“They have lost their sense of purpose, lost their jobs, lost their homes, lost their families, lost their friends, lost their children – all of these relationships,” said Melina. “But most importantly, they have lost a sense of who they are.”

Melina works to help them process these losses and acknowledge the emotions that they are feeling.

Melina also supports the men with writing memorial messages when a participant or friend loses their life to a drug poisoning, and gives them the space they need to have their voices heard.

“Every person has a story, and I want to give them that space to share them.”