Team Lee - Helping Others

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It has now been over 14 weeks since young Samuel Bird went missing in Edmonton. Fourteen weeks of worry. Fourteen weeks of searching along the riverbanks, of calling his name into the wind, of returning home each evening with the weight of unanswered prayers. His mother, Alanna, has walked the river valley every day, refusing to let hope die. She says, “Today’s the day,” each time she sets out — because that is what a mother’s love does, it never gives up.

A command post has now been set up at Dawson Park boat launch. Volunteers — some traveling from as far as Vancouver and Manitoba — gather there daily to receive guidance on where to search. Sometimes there are 60 or more people, families with children, elders, young ones, all coming together. They say, “Sam is not just your son, he is our son too.” That is the heart of our people — when one is lost, we all feel the loss, and we all carry the responsibility to help bring him home.

The police have called this disappearance “suspicious.” That truth weighs heavily on us, but it also sharpens our resolve. Samuel is only 14. He has not yet lived the fullness of life, not yet seen all that this world could have offered him. We cannot allow his story to end in silence.

I ask you again:
📌 Share his photo. Say his name.
📌 If you live near the North Saskatchewan River, search the shorelines, the hidden places, the bends of the water.
📌 If you are far away, lift prayers, spread his story, and keep the fire of hope burning.

To Samuel’s family — Alanna, Pauline, and all those who hold him dear — we walk with you. Your grief is our grief. Your prayers are our prayers. The circle holds you close.

Let us remember: when one child is missing, it is as if the sun has been taken from our sky. We must not rest until Samuel Bird is brought home.

Mîkwêc.

—Kanipawit Maskwa
John Gonzalez

https://globalnews.ca/news/11168240/inquest-wraps-up-in-winnipeg-into-the-2021-overdose-death-of-lee-earnshaw/amp/

Inquest wraps up in Winnipeg into the 2021 overdose death of Lee Earnshaw - Winnipeg | Globalnews.ca An inquest has wrapped up into the overdose death of Lee Earnshaw in 2021 in Winnipeg. His family members hope to prevent similar deaths.

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Marion Willis for her unwavering advocacy, compassion, and leadership. Her assistance and determination in pushing for the inquest into my brother Lee’s death meant more than words can express. She gave voice to our grief and stood with us in the fight for change.

Marion and the St. Boniface Street Links team are not only saving lives, they are building a better, more compassionate model of care. The work they do each day, meeting people where they are, offering dignity, shelter, healing, and hope, deserves recognition and support from all of us.

You can learn more and support their work at:
www.stbonifacestreetlinks.com

Ways to Help:

Make a donation through their website

Drop off urgent items like new underwear, socks, bottled water, toiletries, and laundry supplies at 311 Provencher Blvd. or 604 St. Mary’s Rd., in Winnipeg, MB.

Share this with others- awareness saves lives

Thank you Marion, for leading with courage and heart. Winnipeg is better because of you.

Home - St. Boniface Street Links Welcome to St. Boniface Street Links In the past, the citizens of St. Boniface could always rely on the Christian Church and it’s missionaries to serve the poor and the marginalized. But, as the religious Orders aged and their facilities were repurposed into seniors’ homes and for other uses...

Today marks the end of the inquest and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from me. When Lee passed, I made a promise to myself and his spirit that the barriers he spoke about would be heard.

After two emotional weeks, the inquest went beyond what I hoped. It was unanimously recognized that major change is needed. As one lawyer said, there were “multiple single points of failure”.

The recommendations put forth by the lawyers to the judge were powerful and have the potential to bring about real change - this included the recommendation that the province declare a public health emergency and an urgent need to address how we respond to the opioid crisis in Manitoba. There will be changes that will save lives, prevent future tragedies and provide much needed support to those affected by this crisis.

This photo was taken under the justice sculpture outside the Manitoba courthouse. Though it’s massive, one person can move it. That’s Lee. His voice has been heard.