On February 26, 2026, we were grateful to be part of a team that hosted a half-day sold-out educational event at the The’í:tselíya – S.A.Y. Health & Community Centre in Chilliwack, BC. The event was aimed at addressing the critical gap in grief and bereavement support for people experiencing homelessness and the community support workers who serve them.
The event featured a screening of the documentary No Fixed Address: The White Cart Memorial, highlighting how homelessness shapes experiences of loss, and the professional grief carried by support workers who work with this population. A panel discussion followed, bringing together:
- individuals with lived experience (Darla and Rachel)
- frontline staff from Pacific Community Resources Society (Jason)
- frontline staff from Qwi:qwelstom mental health and wellness team (Tyneshia)
- director of programs from the Chilliwack Hospice Society (Lucy)
The panel explored community-specific strategies, challenges, and emerging practices in supporting grief in the community. The event also introduced our new, free e-learning course, Navigating Grief and Bereavement in the Context of Homelessness: A Guide for Community Support Workers.
The event’s impact
Over 100 people attended this highly successful event.
Our post-event survey results indicated strong positive impacts in increasing attendees’ understanding of grief among people experiencing homelessness and in the workplace for community support workers, and the importance of grief support in these contexts. People also emphasized the emotional and practical impact of hearing personal stories from people with lived experience and appreciated the combination of film and panel discussion.
The event fostered community dialogue and support for ongoing initiatives, including the creation of a memorial for people experiencing homelessness in Chilliwack, which received unanimous backing from survey respondents.
Overall, the event had a meaningful impact on the community, increasing grief literacy among attendees about the grief experienced by people experiencing homelessness and community support workers.
Acknowledgements
We were able to have this event thanks to funding from the Chilliwack Social Research and Planning Council through its Community Engagement and Knowledge Mobilization Micro-Grant, BCCPC, the KHRC, the Vancouver Foundation, and the Community Action Initiative. We have also received in-kind support from the Pacific Community Resources Society, Chilliwack Community Action Team, Homelessness Services Association of BC, and Chilliwack Hospice Society.
We would also like to thank all those who shared their stories and knowledge on the panel. Additionally, Chief Darcy Paul of Sq’ewqéyl (Skowkale) First Nation, who provided the event with a lovely welcome, and Joanne Jefferson (manager of the Qwi:qwelstom mental health and wellness team), who closed the event with such tenderness and provided Indigenous traditional medicine (Cedar brushing) to those leaving the event.
For more information about the film, and a list of upcoming screenings, please visit whitecart.ca.
