Meet The Team

Leadership

Eric Cashmore

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Eric Cashmore grew up in a small town in Northern Ontario. After struggling with drug addiction for the better part of his life and living on the streets for over 10 years Eric became an activist helping people living with HIV/AIDS and who struggle with mental health and addictions. After serving on the front lines as part of the HIV/AIDS movement in Ontario, Eric realized quickly that supports were lacking for service providers who struggled with mental health issues. Eric created The Seeking Help Project to address these issues. Today, the project is federally incorporated with memberships ranging across the country from all types of service provisions.

Mike Delfre

Special Advisor to The Seeking Help Project

Mike has spent his career primarily in the employment and education fields serving as a counsellor, manager, campus principal and industrial trainer. He has served on numerous boards at both the local and provincial level. He is currently the director of operations-food security for the United Way of Sault Ste Marie and Algoma District. His hobbies are gardening, golf and cooking.

Board Members

Patricia Valcourt

Chair of the Board and director of indigenous services

Patricia Valcourt is an addictions specialist working with indigenous populations across the country. She has been a helper within her community for over a decade and loves her work. “To see someone smile is the most rewarding experience I have. I feel very fortunate to be in good health and live my own lifestyle. There are many less fortunate people than I that live an indigenous life by no choice of their own. Helping people has become a passion of mine”.

Scott Dargie

Vice Chair of the Board

Scott Dargie is a 35 year police veteran currently serving with the Durham Regional Police Service working foot patrol in downtown Oshawa. Scott works daily with vulnerable people and joined the project to create better supports for first responders who experience issues such as PTSD and other work related trauma. Scott also plays in a band called “The Heat” which performs at schools and community functions across Ontario.

Aaron Babin

Treasurer of the Board

Aaron Babin has been working in the accounting field for the past decade. He’s a father of three children, volunteers within his church and values strongly his religious faith. Aaron’s passion is driven by his own lived experience with addiction and mental health issues. He believes strongly that supporting front line service providers means creating stronger communities.

Brenda Miller

DIRECTOR OF SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE FRONT LINE RESPONSE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Brenda Miller is a strong indigenous woman, registered social worker and addictions counselor working in an indigenous addictions treatment centre in Northern Ontario. She also facilitates a partner assault response program to help reduce the potential for perpetrators reoffending. She is also a community support worker helping community members make healthy life choices. Brenda is an advocate for victims of human trafficking and is the founder of the annual walk to end human trafficking in Sudbury Ontario.

SILVIE HORNER

SECRETARY OF THE BOARD

Silvie works as a customer relations specialist for a government organization. She is also a proud member of the “Templars against Child Abuse – North America”. She has a strong passion for helping others. She has a strong lived experience helping to support people with mental health issues in her personal life, always looking for ways to bring people together – not keep them apart. Silvie joined the board because she sees addiction everyday in her work and knows that the only way that people will get better is through compassion, support and encouragement.

Andy Wang

Member at large

Andy Wang is a high school math and science teacher who is passionate about social justice and the environment. For 18 years, he worked at Contact Alternative, a school for students who were considered at-risk, mentoring youth who may have had low self-esteem, education gaps, and issues related to housing insecurity, substance use, and mental health. He was chair and founder of the Unity Conference for LGBTQ2S youth as well as a volunteer for the anti-homophobia group, TEACH. He was also one of the original group of people who took over the Glad Day bookshop.

Victoria Barr

Member at large

Victoria Barr has been a harm reduction and street outreach worker for the past ten years in Northern Ontario. She is a strong advocate for people who use drugs and has fought hard on the front lines to lower stigma and discrimination associated with substance use. She is well known for her compassion and drive to provide vital services to the most vulnerable people.

CHRIS MORET

Member at large

Chris works as a logistics coordinator for a major airline. As an active member of his community, serving as a youth mentor with the Boys and Girls club of Durham Region and as a youth leader with the PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) leadership camp; Chris is a strong advocate for people who often struggle to find their place in society. Chris also accutely understands the issues behind mental health and addictions in the workplace and supports the development of programming to address these unique issues.