B.C. Victims of Homicide joins with the SFU Hummingbirds to raise money and awareness
On June 24th, the SFU Hummingbirds will walk or run in support of B.C. Victims of Homicide (BCVOH), in order to increase awareness and raise funds at the Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge. This year the cause will be especially relevant, as the team will run in memory of homicide victim Maple Batalia. Batalia was an SFU student who was shot and killed at the SFU Surrey campus last September.
Hummingbirds team captain and SFU assistant professor Brenda Morrison explained the importance of an organization like BCVOH. “The two eight-week homicide-bereavement support workshops, monthly drop-in groups, and the helpline have benefitted survivors of homicide victims in the last year tremendously.”
When asked why the team is called “The Hummingbirds”, Morrison explained the parable of the hummingbird related to restorative justice. “The story goes that there was a fire in the forest and all the animals ran away, except the hummingbird who flew back and forth between the stream and the fire bringing tiny beads of water. When the other animals looked at the hummingbird like he was a fool and asked what he was doing, he said ‘I’m doing what I can.’ ” Morrison added that it takes tremendous courage to deal with the homicide of a loved one. She credited Christopher Ducharme, a victim of homicide and a fierce advocate with countless hours spent to establish the organization.
In 2011, Ducharme with the support of fundraisers, the B.C. Justice Institute, and Mason Raymond of the Vancouver Canucks, launched BCVOH as an initiative by the B.C. Bereavement Helpline, in order to help families and loved ones of homicide victims. He stated that the services offered by BCVOH are essential for supporting and healing victims. “Support groups are vital in creating a sense of community especially after such a traumatic event. By being with people who truly understand the homicide victimization experience, there is a common sense of compassion and understanding that is so hard for victims to find in society. These relationships are paramount in helping victims to re-learn faith in humanity and trust in themselves and in others. Support groups are non-counseling, non-therapy peer support groups that are cost free for victim participants,” stated Ducharme. In 2007, the only support group to exist in Western Canada was in Edmonton. With roughly 120 murders a year in B.C., Decharme realized that this type of service was necessary. B.C. Bereavement Helpline has been succeessful at filling the gap. In the past year the service has helped some 300 people deal with the aftermath of homicide, including SFU Criminology student, Cristina Pastia.
In 2009, Pastia lost both parents to homicide. “They left to attend business in Romania but they did not return,” Pastia told The Peak. She recalled the pain and anger she went through trying to make sense of what had happened to her parents. Even with family and friends around to support her, Pastia felt that she needed to connect with others who had been through similar experiences. When asked how she benefitted from BCVOH she explained, “The benefits were twofold for me. First, being around other people who had gone through something similar and whom I did not know outside of the group made me feel more able to share what I was going through. Second, being in a support group for homicide victims gave me a chance to really think about what had happened and how it was affecting me.” Today, Pastia is a dedicated volunteer with BCVOH, helping other victims deal with their anger and grief. Last week she graduated with honours, and will return to SFU in the fall to begin graduate studies in criminology.
To join The Hummingbirds in supporting BCVOH through the Scotia Bank Group Charity Challenge, please contact Mami at bcbh.challenge@gmail.com
