Those who are reluctant to associate with people suffering from homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, and mental health issues would have done well to attend the Remembrance and Celebration of Life Rally on Wednesday at Alameda Park.

About 50 people gathered in the Carousel Shelter to remember 14 people who have died in the past year after battling those issues or who worked in the field of mental health.

The event is held each year during National Mental Health Week, which is Oct. 4 to 10 this year.

Sentiments shared by the friends, coworkers, clients and family members of the 14 remembered could have been describing folks in any cross section of society.

“His smile could light up a room,” “I never saw her unhappy,” “He stood up for people who couldn't stand up for themselves,” “He was a practical joker,” “He loved to work,” “He was in the Air Force,” and “I literally watched him take the shirt off his back and give it to a man” were among the recollections shared regarding those being remembered.

Diedra Fields of the Grapevine Center said the event remembered a larger than usual number of people who had died this year due to coronavirus pandemic protocols.

“There were lockdown deaths because mental health people absolutely need socialization,” Fields said.

She said the Drop-In Center at the Grapevine Center on North Elm Street, where about 60 people per day visited their peer specialists, stopped for a coffee or enjoyed a board game, closed down when the lockdown began in March.

It is now reopened with coronavirus protocols in place, but far fewer visitors are coming.

“With all the social distancing and decreased capacity (requirements), everyone feels inhibited, so they've been reluctant to return under those circumstances,” Fields said.

Denia Carr attended the Remembrance and Celebration of Life Rally to talk about her partner, James Russell, who died Sept. 8.

“He loved the Grapevine Center,” Carr said. “He felt he was a part of their family.”

She said during her speech about Russell that he greatly missed the Grapevine Center during the pandemic and called every day to see if it had reopened.

“The Grapevine gave him a lot of support,” Carr told those in attendance. “Basically, that was his life: home and the Grapevine Center.”

His friend, John Salvatori, said Russell was a radar specialist in the Air Force and a youth football coach; he loved to cook and took great pride in his appearance.

He said as a peer counselor at the Drop-In Center, Russell was great at monitoring visitors' behavior.

“You could be safe and secure and not worry about anything,” Salvatori said.

He said a construction accident while working for a company involved in building PNC Park resulted in a steel rod being placed in Russell's back, which ended his construction career.

“God bless James,” Salvatori said. “We love him and we'll miss him.”

One late honoree was Pam Grabe, who served as the director of the Mental Health Association in Butler County for many years before retiring in 2013.

Bette Peoples, director of the Grapevine Center, spoke of her 25-year relationship with Grabe, whom she called her mentor.

“She helped me every step of the way,” Peoples said. “Pam helped me every time I could not move forward.”

She said Grabe gave generously of her knowledge in the field of mental health, which helped many suffering from mental illness in Butler County.

“I hope she knows what a legacy she left in the mental health community,” Peoples said.

The keynote speaker for the Remembrance and Celebration of Life Rally was Marni Rettig, the director of the Mental Health Association of Butler County.

She said the family members, friends, coworkers, peers, service providers and others who attended the event were important to the recovery of the person they were there to remember.

“Your dedication, your grit and your bravery gave that person courage to hang on and keep going,” Rettig said. “They are all a testament to the human spirit, and they will live on through you and us forever.”

The event also included prayers, hymns and a county proclamation given to Peoples by County Commissioner Kevin Boozel, who also spoke about mental health challenges and some of the individuals on the list he knew.

A lunch was provided to all in attendance after the rally.