A Loved One's Perspective: Dale's Gala Reflection

The Mission Possible Annual Gala brings together Mission Possible associates, their loved ones, caring community leaders, and dedicated supporters in celebration of  meaningful work and lasting change in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. When it comes to our associates and their loved ones, it gives them a chance to celebrate what has been a transformational journey. 

At the 16th Annual Mission Possible Gala, Beyond Potential Award Winner, Dave, who shared his story with us back in November, invited his brother Dale. Dale came to the gala with the sole purpose of celebrating and supporting him, but as he learned more about Mission Possible throughout the evening, he became motivated to generously give back to the program that helped transform his brother’s life.

We asked Dale to share about what his experience has been like supporting Dave over the years and how it felt to attend the Mission Possible Gala. 

My brother Dave has always been one to follow the beat of his own drum. Over the years as he struggled with his addiction I learned that it was best for me to just be present as much as possible and always offer my love and hugs without judgment. When he was younger, he was always a very bright and engaging person. Funny, smart, friendly. His addiction didn't really take that away but it dulled everything about him. He became a shell of what he was but I knew the spark was still in him, even if he couldn't see it. Eventually, he came to the conclusion he had to clean up and I continued to support. I stayed in contact with him and celebrated with him as he stayed clean for days then weeks then months.

When he first told me about the opportunity to work at Mission Possible I could tell he was looking forward to it. It was a chance for him to get back into a routine and feel like he was contributing without it being too overwhelming. There was also the financial benefit of a few more bucks in his pocket for a bit of work. At the time, I did not know anything about Mission Possible other than what I observed from Dave as he moved through different programs and was offered more training and more opportunity. I could see that whatever this program was, it was very good at staying within his capability at the moment while still pushing him outside of his comfort zone... but just outside. Not too much, not too little. Call it a "Goldilocks" level of support. 

As he participated in the programs, he told me more about his experience and I could tell he was very grateful of the opportunity he was getting and also the encouragement and support he received from Mission Possible. He was nervous but also excited when he was given the chance to speak at a Lunch and Learn for Taseko Mines, one of the main donors. When he was done, he told me all about it and was jazzed up by the experience and the feedback he got. He was ready to do it again. So, over this journey I've seen him thrive and grow with returning self-confidence. He has returned to a newer and more experienced version of his younger self. Of course he is not the same. That is to be expected. But I see him now always being his best self and that makes me proud.

In the Fall of 2024, Dave told me that he was going to be getting some sort of award for his progress at Mission Possible and said that he could bring a "plus one" to the event. I was his first choice and I immediately said "of course". Again, I still actually did not know much about Mission Possible and in fact I didn't even know the name "Mission Possible" until I attended the event. He told me it was going to be a gala event so I assumed I needed to get dressed for the occasion. When I showed up, Dave was all smiles and I could see he was really proud to introduce me to all his Mission Possible colleagues. Over the night I met and chatted with program participants, staff, directors and donors. It was extremely impressive as I learned more about Mission Possible's mandate and history. I really had no idea about the extent of its impact and I was very impressed. In particular, I found all the people I met to be extremely supportive of each other. What I saw around me was "good people" and that Dave was now surrounded by these people. THAT is what made me conclude that I had to support this organization.

Over the years, I've financially supported Dave by paying his bills when needed and filling his fridge. During the gala I finally saw an organization that I would be willing to support financially because I saw not only what it did for Dave but for all the other program participants too. That led me to bid during the live auction event. I was more than happy to support this group that did so much for Dave.

Thank you Mission Possible and all your good folks for what you do. Your work makes a difference.

Thank you so much to Dale for sharing his unique perspective of what it was like to witness Dave’s journey and support him as he moved through our Employment Readiness Program. It takes a community to empower people as they boldly step into a new chapter of their lives, and we are proud to have both Dave and Dale as part of ours.