our history
Origins
- From Grief to Action (FGTA) began with two sets of parents in west-side Vancouver who disclosed to each other that a family member was suffering from an addiction to illegal drugs. This discovery opened their eyes to the existence of other apparently untroubled families struggling with the same tragedy.
- With the encouragement of Rev. Kevin Dixon at St. Mary's Church in Kerrisdale, they formed a support group. Participants focused on helping each other move beyond feelings of shame, perceived guilt, helplessness and grief.
- After a year, during which several invited speakers came to help shed light on their shared situation, the group realized that it wasn't just the disease of addiction that was an increasingly pervasive problem, it was the scarcity of treatment programs.
- The parents resolved to raise awareness by reaching out as an interest group to community members, the media and politicians. Having decided to move "from grief to action," they created a vision statement (mandate) for the group.
FGTA unknowingly became the face of addiction in the family because, as outspoken middle class urbanites, the members reached a large audience. Community members were startled to learn that the problem, most often attributed to the Downtown East Side, was also a problem on the affluent west side. Others were relieved that the silence and self-imposed shame had been broken: drug addiction could happen in any family.
Early days
- St. Mary's Church became not only the meeting place for the newly incorporated society but also its administrative mainstay. The church secretary generously expanded her workload to support the inaugural President, Secretary and Treasurer in their tasks.
- Financial support came from memberships, and from private gifts and memorial bequests — the most poignant of all marking the loss of a family member from drug-related causes.
- Project support was gratefully received from the United Way of the Lower Mainland, The Christmas Family Ball Society, and the (former) Ministry of Community Development. Project fundraising is time-intensive, however. The officers' administrative workload — particularly that of then-president Nichola Hall — grew to an unwieldy level as the society grew.
- The Board's next big decision was to engage an Executive Director, and Fran Romer was named to this role in 2007.
Our Founders
In the words used to introduce the film From Grief to Action,* "Rob and Susie Ruttan and their neighbours, Ray and Nicky Hall, never dreamed that heroin would be a problem they'd have to deal with. They live in the tranquil neighborhood of Kerrisdale, Vancouver and are intelligent, loving, resourceful parents who unexpectedly found themselves coping with the shame and guilt of having teenage sons who had become [addicted to heroin]. As they struggled to find resources and solutions for their children's problems they discovered other parents right in their own neighborhood dealing with the same horrible nightmare."
On February 9, 2011, the Halls and Susie Ruttan were re-elected to FGTA's Board of Directors for a two-year term. Rob Ruttan declined nomination but continues to serve the community as a board member for The Crossing.
Rob Ruttan
As a crown prosecutor for many years, Rob saw that traditional criminal justice approaches were failing to deal with the problem of drug use. The issue really struck home when a member of his own family became addicted to heroin. Alongside his wife, Susie, Rob was actively involved with FGTA through its first ten years as it grew from an informal support group to a productive non-profit charitable society. He spoke out often on issues of concern to FGTA members, in interviews, speeches and as a member of the steering community for the youth treatment centre. The opening of the The Crossing at Keremeos is the realization of a long-time dream to make Portage treatment available to B.C. youth in their home province.
