Hope, recovery, grief part of Grapevine event
BUTLER TWP — Heartfelt words of remembrance for eight people who died over the last year were shared by those missing them, but a message of hope soared high above the grief on Wednesday at the Grapevine Center’s annual Remembrance & Celebration of Life event.
Held in the Carousel Shelter at Alameda Park as leaves fell through shafts of sunlight, the event saw keynote speaker Steve Treu, author of “Hope is Dope,” deliver a positive message to the 75 people who attended.
Treu said although he has worked in heroin addiction and attended the funerals of 50 people who did not recover, he leans on his Christian faith and an upbeat attitude to fend off sadness.
He told listeners that the counseling he offers is spiritually focused, because while the physical body dies, the spirit lives on forever.
“It’s so important that we think of ourselves as spiritual beings,” Treu said.
He also said the challenges faced by people with mental illness or addiction are spiritual workouts, which, much like a physical workout, will result in a healthier person.
Treu said he counsels those with addiction or mental illness to replace the negative label they have given themselves with thoughts of gratitude, love, compassion and hope.
“It releases endorphins in our brains that make us feel good,” he said. “It’s natural cocaine. It’s natural marijuana.”
Bette Peoples, executive director at the Grapevine Center, lost her son, Alex Michael Peoples, when he drowned in a river in Pittsburgh almost one year ago.
Peoples said her son struggled with her mental illness, and from the multiple hospitalizations she endured when he was a young child.
She said Alex began getting into trouble as an older elementary school student and was incarcerated on and off as an adult.
Although she went for long stretches without seeing her beloved son, Peoples provided a Pittsburgh homeless program with the documents needed to secure housing for him, and took the bus to the city when he had surgery in 2018.
She also rode the bus to Pittsburgh for occasional visits, when the two would go to museums or other venues.
“We spent a lot of time together that I will always cherish,” Peoples said.
Then, during the pandemic, Alex lost most of his support services, and his issues spiraled downward.
“When he had a phone, he would call me,” Peoples said. “The Monday before he died, we talked for a half hour or 40 minutes.”
Although she had heard on newscasts in early November that a man’s body had been found in the river in Pittsburgh, she never figured it was her son until she got a call from police informing her of the tragic news.
“Nobody knows why he drowned in the river, but I try not to focus on that,” Peoples said. “I try to focus on the good times we had and the time we spent together.”
One by one, a loved one or peer specialist from the Grapevine Center stood behind the podium. Each said a few words about one of the other seven Grapevine Center clients listed on the program who have died.
Charlie Denstitt liked to help others. Betty Paffrath found ways to overcome her physical challenges and get things done. Robert Harbison Jr. was a loving and devoted father to his daughter and son.
Stephanie Gonz pushed through her illnesses to continue with her recovery plan. Gwen Simmons loved to share her fervent faith with strangers. Joanne Gates had two cats and loved her family.
Daniel Smith was independent and always helpful even though he was blind and deaf. Howard White loved to fish and was a military policeman in the National Guard.
“We learn people with mental illness had lives and were people,” said Grapevine Center peer specialist Dave Walowen of the event’s importance. “It helps with the stigma.”
