Spiraling Up

By Diana Jeffries, July 13, 2025

We often hear about the downward spirals that can happen in life. The most obvious and visible are when we see people in addiction and despair on the Downtown Eastside (DTES) of Vancouver. It can feel for most of us hopeless and heartbreaking. Five years ago, I was hired as a teacher and capacity development specialist for Atira Women’s Resource Society, located in the DTES. One of the first women I met and started working with was Trinity. She has invited me to share her story and why she has become such a personal inspiration to me. 

When I met Trinity, she was living in a supported housing studio apartment on the DTES. She was in a wheelchair after a nasty fall resulting in a broken leg. She was unwell and feeling a little desperate to start making some changes. It just so happened that  when I entered  the lobby of her social housing building to see if anyone wanted my help, she saw me and swiveled  her wheelchair around quickly, asking if I was available to help her. At first I was a little taken aback but “Of course” I said. That was the beginning of our journey together. We met often in my office or in the garden to practice meditation, yoga, reading, creative writing, eating and talking together about the ups and downs of life. Her wisdom, humour, compassion, and strength were so charming to me and I always enjoyed our sessions together.

Prior to living in an Atira building on the DTES, Trinity had for over 25 years been in active addiction, homeless, and traumatized by a hard and often cruel world that she had to navigate through her entire life. But it was the affordable housing and community support that gave her a fighting chance to recover and to move forward. In the five years that I have known Trinity, I have seen her become more beautiful, more hilarious, more fun, and such a thoughtful and intelligent woman who I will always admire and feel grateful to have in my life.

A year ago Trinity got the chance to leave the  DTES and get long term housing in her new Co-op in Port Coquitlam.  Now she organizes monthly community gatherings for the co-op and this past weekend she asked if I would come and help with the arts and crafts table at the summer get-together. It was great fun but what was even greater for me was seeing Trinity continuing to flourish, and find peace and contentment in her new life. Her success has come because of her determination but  she also says that she couldn’t have done it without help. “I am now spiraling up” and I couldn’t agree more.  She is spiraling up into learning how to honour her strength, resilience and compassion for herself and others.  She told me that “with housing and support I was able to pull myself out of my life of addiction and suffering. There is no way I would have been able to do it otherwise and I am deeply grateful”.

In my work we are confronted with suffering and despair every single day. Burnout and compassion fatigue are real, but it is in these stories of overcoming enormous obstacles, against all odds, that make the work feel so worthwhile. It’s in these moments like I have shared with Trinity, where I get to see someone really embrace a new life –  of potential, of successes, and love, which bring me so much joy, inspiration and belief in our shared humanity.