Grapevine Center friends memorialized
BUTLER TWP — Having been involved with the Grapevine Center since the 1980s, Hugh Miller has seen many people work through struggles including addiction and mental health crises.
But, he said, not everyone is able to overcome their traumas.
On Wednesday, Oct. 11, Miller spoke about a colleague and friend of his from the Grapevine Center, George Honeycutt, who recently died after seeking help for addiction at the center. Several other people also spoke about their deceased Grapevine Center colleagues at the center’s annual Remembrance and Celebration of Life Rally, where Miller urged Pennsylvania leaders to address drug and addiction policy.
“It’s killing beautiful people; George was a beautiful person,” Miller said. “It’s just sad to see these people dropping dead. It’s tearing me up.”
Bette Peoples, executive director of the center, said the agency has held an annual remembrance rally for at least 10 years. Peoples said in addition to giving people a place to air out their feelings, the remembrance rally gives the Grapevine staff a chance to highlight issues, like homelessness, which has spiked over the past few years.
“The need is there; we have definitely had an increase in homelessness,” Peoples said. “I would walk to work and there would be people sitting on the bench outside homeless.”
The Grapevine Center offers a drop-in center, where people can go if they need help, or just shelter from the elements; a warmline, which people can call to speak with someone in times of crisis; a moving program, which helps people move into new homes or first-time homes; homeless outreach and more.
Family members, friends and colleagues spoke about their relationships with several Grapevine Center staff members who have died in the past year. In their talks, several people touched on the effects depression or addiction had on their loved ones who died.
Jeanette Nestor spoke about her brother, Jack Ferguson, whom she said died earlier this year after living a life wrought with depression and anxiety. She said at times it felt like she didn’t know her brother, because he was so debilitated by mental illness.
“He was not a happy person,” Nestor said. “I didn’t see him much as we got older; I feel bad about that.”
Miller said he knew Ferguson through his work at the Grapevine Center, and also called him a beautiful person.
Butler County commissioners Kim Geyer and Kevin Boozel also read a proclamation at the event, naming Oct. 1 through Oct. 7 Mental Illness Awareness Week in Butler County.
Tyrone Smith, of West Sunbury, was the event’s keynote speaker, and shared stories of his own struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts. In his talk, Smith urged people to reach out to one another in times of need, and added that after addressing some of his issues, he was able to find a community that could help him continue his recovery.
“I come to events like this and I’m looking around and see these people who care about what I care about,” Smith said. “We are not what we are diagnosed with, but it is something we do have to struggle with.”
