SASKATOON – Members of STR8UP, an organization that offers outreach services, programming and support to those who want to leave the gang life, have confirmed that co-founder Father Andre Poilievre has died at 88.
According to STR9UP’s website, in 2002, Father Andre, lead Chaplain at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre, was asked for help by two active gang members who had participated in community outreach presentations with him. They expressed their desire to leave their gangs and wanted support from him as they worked to change their lives.
“How do we leave the gang life?” they asked him. Father Andre’s response was honest and straightforward, “I don’t know, but we will figure it out together”. It was the beginning of something much larger than the three of them ever imagined. Eventually, many others would follow in their footsteps, states the STR8UP website.
Father Andre retired from the Saskatoon Correctional Centre in 2002 with a growing number of men and women who relied on him for support, counseling and a community connection. He continued doing community presentations and involved former gang members by asking them to share their stories and experiences with the community, becoming a beloved and revered mentor and facilitator.
In 2007, Father Andre met Stan Tu’inkuafe, then a youth worker with the John Howard Society. Together they developed the goals and conditions for STR8UP Membership and the organization’s Visions and Goals. STR8UP became an outreach program under the umbrella of the John Howard Society.
STR8UP incorporated as its own non-profit and registered Canadian Charity in 2014, enabling them to expand their outreach services, introduce new programs, provide advocacy and support in correctional facilities and courtroom, and connect members with other community supports and resources.
