A kind-hearted Lil’wat Nation mother saw this week’s icy temperatures and knew she had to do something to help those without shelter. Lucinda Jones Gabriel immediately collected warm clothing to bring down to Vancouver.
She was inspired by her late sister Melissa Jones (who lived in the city). Gabriel comes from a long line of strong women, and her family organizes Lil’wat Nation’s Indigenous Strong Powwow every year. The family collected blankets, tarps, toques, scarves, gloves, and socks for Vancouver’s homeless, and dropped the goods to Carnegie Community Centre on Hastings Street. In previous years, they gave the clothes directly to people they saw sleeping rough on the street.
Gabriel and her family, like many others, struggle financially, but count themselves lucky to have a roof over their heads during this freezing cold weather.
”I am learning to be grateful for my life,” she said. “I have a home, a hubby, children, two granddaughters, and a job. Sober for 24 years. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am, or how grateful I should be. So in honour of my sister, I bring coats, blankets, hats, toques, gloves, and anything we can to the homeless people. My family and I have been doing this for about five years."
They usually try to distribute the much-needed clothing during Christmas, but this year Gabriel was struck with an illness.
“I heard about the cold spell coming, and remembered that we never brought any winter stuff for the homeless people,” she said. “This year was the first time I asked for donations, and three kind ladies donated about a bag of clothes.”
Determined to set a powerful example to her children and grandchildren, Gabriel wants to donate to Vancouver’s homeless as much as she can.
“I am learning a lot about how the Indian Residential Schools have a negative impact on so many lives and that all the abuses still affect them today,” she said. “I am a first intergenerational survivor. Both my parents were forced to go. I remember my grandmother, she was always caring, our safety place when I was a child. I didn't have much. We weren't rich with money (even today) but I am teaching my children 'to give, to help, to be kind, to be grateful for all that we have.' I am breaking the cycle, and my children are, too.”
After Gabriel’s sister died suddenly, she found every trip to the city incredibly painful. Now, she associates Vancouver with her daughter Hannah's determination to become a successful filmmaker.
“When my sister died of heart collapsing, I missed her so much,” she said. “I still do. It was hard for me to go to Vancouver because it would remind me of her. I would cry before I got there and when we left. Now, my daughter Hannah Jones moved to Vancouver to go to college. I always loved going to visit her, but when it was time to bring her back to her apartment and drive back home, I would always cry.
"I realized how I am proud of Hannah Jones, 'the rez kid with a dream,' for moving to the city to pursue her goal.”
Gabriel sees striking similarities between her daughter and her late sister, mainly their shared desire to make the world around them a better place.
“Both are caring girls, kind, helpful, generous,” she said. “Melissa would give you anything that would help you, even if it was her last dollar. I was proud of her for moving off the rez. She was younger than me, but she was always stronger, more courageous. She was stylish and her hair was always done.”
There was nothing in the world that could stop the kind soul from achieving her dreams, Gabriel said.
“She had arthritis, but Melissa didn't let that stop her,” she said. “The doctor said she wouldn't be able to have any children, but she proved them wrong and had a beautiful baby girl. She gave, she cared—she lived in the city and I do this in memory of her.”
