‘He did everything for everybody’: Vancouver Downtown Eastside mourns the loss of Trey Helten

Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is grieving the loss of one of its most dedicated and compassionate advocates.

Trey Helten, who spent more than a decade supporting those affected by addiction and homelessness, died suddenly this week at the age of 42.

For many in the community, Helten wasn’t just a support worker — he was a lifeline.

Over the past 10 years, Helten was a familiar and steady presence at the Overdose Prevention Society (OPS) on East Hastings Street.

“He came in as a peer worker who just wanted to save lives and help people,” said Sarah Blyth, executive director at OPS. “He worked his way up to being our general manager, and he also started a lot of programs. He’s a well-known guy in the Downtown Eastside, and a lot of people love him.”

From helping people off the street and onto the path to recovery to organizing daily Narcotics Anonymous meetings and visiting people in hospital, Blyth says Helten gave everything he had to the people he was dedicated to supporting.

“He just did everything for everybody.”

Streets to service

Helten’s life story was a powerful testament to transformation.

He knew the streets of the Downtown Eastside not just as a worker but as someone who had once lived there, struggling with addiction. But he didn’t let that define him. Instead, he drew on that pain and experience to offer a deep empathy and authenticity that resonated with everyone he met.

“He had endless compassion for people who were still living on the streets,” said Blyth.

“In so many ways, he held the key for people to believe that, yes, you can get off the streets, you can get housing, a job, and into recovery. He would say that to anyone who’s struggling right now. I think his message would be: you can get help, and there is hope. You just have to take it day by day — you wake up, and you try again, and keep trying. That’s what he did.”

A lasting legacy

Blyth says Helten is survived by his son, a partner who is expecting a child, and a family he loved both by blood and bond.

“I’ve never had so many phone calls from people — from everywhere — offering to do anything [they can],” Blyth shared. “The church wants to offer their space for his memorial. There’s just so much love and support for him because he gave everything he had.”

Helten leaves behind more than just memories. He leaves a legacy of resilience, compassion, and an unwavering belief in people’s ability to change.

In a community too often defined by crisis, Trey Helten was a source of hope. And though he’s gone, the space he created — both physically and in the hearts of those he helped — remains.