Twice a year, a Saskatchewan cattle rancher packs a bag and gets on a flight to Chilliwack.
The visits are no vacation for Khristina who spends time on the streets with homeless and drug-addicted people, many of whom have come to know her well.
Her reason for coming to Chilliwack is to find her son.
鈥淚 just spend time with him and love on him,鈥� said Khristina, whose last name The Progress agreed not to use to protect her son.
Khristina said her now-26-year-old son was diagnosed with high-functioning autism in school, where he was bullied because of his disability. Eventually the family got him a service dog, but she said the school system wouldn鈥檛 allow the dog in school, and finally all the meddling 鈥渞uined鈥� the dog.
Her family did battle with the school district, the Saskatchewan government, the human rights commission, but to no avail. Her son became addicted to drugs, and then she decided to sent him to the Chilliwack Men鈥檚 Centre in Yarrow, a substance recovery program part of Adult & Teen Challenge B.C.
That was 2016, but after he went through the program, he ended up on the streets of Chilliwack.
鈥淵ou can lead a horse to water but you can鈥檛 make it drink,鈥� Khristina told this reporter during a conversation in Salish Park last Wednesday (Jan. 18).
鈥淣obody wants to be a drug addict.鈥�
RELATED: Maggie and Tim: A residential school survivor and her son who died on Chilliwack鈥檚 streets
RELATED: Same day well-known Chilliwack homeless man gets shelter built he is taken to hospital
For a few years, her son would call to check in occasionally but two years ago the calls stopped. So now she comes to Chilliwack, immerses herself in the people she comes to know on the streets, and tries to find her son.
On this most recent visit, she arrived on Jan. 9 and stayed for 10 days. This time, despite him not knowing when his mother would arrive, the two connected right away.
鈥淚t鈥檚 called divine intervention,鈥� Khristina said. 鈥淗e finds me.鈥�
Spending time with people living on the streets has been very eye-opening for Khristina. She has learned how many individuals addicted to illegal opioids are numbing the pain from various traumas, many of them sexual in nature.
鈥淪ociety likes to blame these people,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut they just didn鈥檛 have coping skills. I say to people criticizing them, how many drinks have you had? We are judging these people who, they didn鈥檛 realize this is where it would end up.鈥�
Walking the streets and sitting with homeless people, Khristina is undercover in a way, and gets a glimpse into what it feels like to be at the pointy end of public scorn. She also sees the generosity.
Soon after arriving, she said she was over by the bottle depot when someone offered her some cans, which she accepted and passed on. She was also offered a sandwich, and then clothes by another person.
But she also sees the derision heaped upon those who are addicted and unhoused. Mocking words yelled from a vehicle. Police bullying them to move on.
She is particularly angered by the treatment she saw in some local fast-food establishments, and wants people to know about it.
At the McDonald鈥檚 by the Yale Road overpass, Khristina said the restaurant is divided in half, on one side regular patrons, the other is usually homeless people getting a coffee, taking a break. While sitting on the 鈥渨rong鈥� half one day reading a book during her visit, she said she was ordered to leave by a security guard and she was shocked by it.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what their problem is, it鈥檚 like segregation, the homeless go this way. And I鈥檝e watched, the other side of the restaurant doesn鈥檛 get hassled.鈥�
Overall she said the treatment of those on the streets is about a 50/50 split between nice and rude.
What Khristina also does during her visits is fill backpacks with toiletries, water bottles, notepads and pens, snacks, some for men, some for women, and she hands them out when she can.
鈥淚 just meet people where they are at,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can relate and have empathy because my son is one of them. I鈥檓 basically doing street ministry. You know when they are ready to hear it. Just being present is important.
鈥淭hey are somebody鈥檚 kid. Somebody鈥檚 father, uncle, brother, grandfather. They are loved.鈥�
Wearing a 鈥淛esus is Lord鈥� pin, talking to The Progress at Salish Park, Khristina was asked what she saw in her son鈥檚 future.
鈥滸od only knows. I know the plan for us is hope and a future. I know my son will be clean one day.鈥�
As for where he happened to be that day, the day before she returned to her rural life in Saskatchewan, she can鈥檛 call him to ask. And meeting up didn鈥檛 happen.
鈥淚 guess I鈥檓 not meant to see him today,鈥� Khristina said.
鈥滻 spent time with him, and that has to be enough.鈥�
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email:
editor@theprogress.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
