Another Face of The Ottawa Mission

We often try to highlight the struggles of people who come to The Ottawa Mission because they are homeless, or suffering from addiction.  There is another group of people who regularly come through our doors, and Fern is one of them.

Fern has never stayed at our shelter.  He lives alone in a small, subsidized apartment and has little access to the social networks that many of us take for granted.  He has been coming to The Mission almost every day for more than 15 years for meals and to attend chapel services.  The people at The Mission are an important part of Fern’s life, and we feel the same way about him.  He feels at home here and has made many friends.  He is a bright light, and he knows he matters to us.

Fern is also a regular student at Discovery University — where people who are homeless or living on low incomes have the opportunity to take non-credit, university courses at no cost.  His favorite course so far was “Drama Literature” where one of the plays studied was King Lear.  He enjoys the learning experience, and is proud of the certificates he has earned.

The generosity of our donors allows us to do as much as we can to make sure that Fern and so many others like him receive healthy meals and friendship – and never have to feel that they are alone.  On behalf of Fern and many others like him, we thank you.