Author Archives: Amanda Havey

Statement on the City of Ottawa’s Confirmed 2023 Budget

OTTAWA, ON – The Ottawa Mission, our city’s oldest and largest homeless shelter, thanks members of Ottawa City Council for increasing the allocation for affordable housing from $15 to $16.5 million in today’s confirmed 2023 budget through an additional $1.5 million from an increase to the Sale of Surplus Land Account.

Many organizations, including our shelter, asked for an increase because while we appreciate the support in the 2023 budget for housing, the original allocation of $15 million for new affordable housing was an amount that had not increased since it was introduced in the 2019 City of Ottawa budget. The allocation of an additional $1.5 million is a good start to addressing the overwhelming need for affordable housing in our community.

The Ottawa Mission had expressed concern because in Ottawa:

For every one unit of affordable rent built, seven are lost.
Average rents increased over 14% in 2022, with one-bedroom apartments now costing about $2,000, thereby forcing people to use food banks and meal programs such as ours to pay their rent.
10% of those in emergency shelters are employed and cannot afford these staggering rents.
There are 12,000 individuals on Ottawa Community Housing’s waiting list, many of whom wait for years.
There are an estimated over 200 individuals sleeping outside, which is a public health emergency.

While the City of Ottawa needs provincial and federal government contributions for housing, the value of the $15 million for new affordable housing within the City’s 10-year housing plan has declined over time due to inflation and the increasing numbers of people needing services.

The Ottawa Mission expresses our sincere thanks to Council for this increase for new affordable housing. We look forward to continuing to work with all members of Council to ensure that housing and homelessness is a top priority over the life of this term of Council.

Learn more about our ‘Mission Possible’ Advocacy efforts: ottawamission.com/advocacy

About The Ottawa Mission
Since 1906, The Ottawa Mission has been serving those who are homeless, hungry and lost by providing food, clothing, shelter and skills. In 2021-2022, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 118 men every night and served an average of 2,570 meals every day. The Ottawa Mission also provides to men and women health services, mental health and addiction treatment programs, primary care, hospice care, dental services, housing services, educational support, job training, spiritual care, and clothing to thousands in need in our community. In September 2020, The Ottawa Mission marked the one millionth hour that the shelter has been in existence since its founding in 1906. In 2019, the Mission became a housing-focused shelter reflective of its commitment to a home for everyone as a human right with the launch of a new housing department.

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
T 613.234.1144 x 305
C: 613.712.3092
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com

The Ottawa Citizen: Ottawa budget — we need more resources to tackle homelessness

Our emergency shelters have steadily added beds over the years. These shelters exist due to service gaps caused by stagnant government funding.

On March 1, Ottawa council will confirm the city’s 2023 budget.

In 2020, council unanimously declared a housing and homelessness emergency. We appreciate support in the 2023 budget for housing, including operating and repairing social housing, rent supplements, housing allowances and homelessness programs. However, the $15 million allocated for new affordable housing has not increased since it was introduced in 2019.

Ottawa Mission’s food truck program surpasses 500,000 meals served

Shelter purchases second food truck to ensure program clients continue to be fed

Ottawa, ON – The Ottawa Mission’s food truck program, established in September 2020 in response to growing hunger resulting from the pandemic, has recently surpassed the mark of serving 500,000 meals to people across the city of Ottawa who would otherwise go hungry.

“The pandemic, combined with food inflation, has meant that our meal numbers have exploded across this city – it’s unbelievable,” noted Chef Ric Allen-Watson, the shelter’s Director of Food Services. Before the pandemic, The Mission served 495,000 meals. This past fiscal year, it served 938,000 meals, with meals served from the food truck program comprising a significant portion of this total number.

The program began with one truck and five stops serving 500 meals per week to reach people across the city who could not travel to the shelter for meals due to disability, lack of funds for bus fares, or other reasons. “Our program now has two trucks, 34 stops across the city and serves over 7,000 meals per week. According to a 2021 survey of food truck program clients, 51% of food truck program clients visited the program weekly, and 34% of clients were families with children,” Allen-Watson added.

Beginning with one food truck from the Pelican Seafood Market and Grill that was not being used due to the pandemic, the Mission added a new truck in 2021 as the program gradually expanded. Recently, after over two years of faithful service, the shelter has had to retire its first food truck since it was more than 20 years old and regularly needed repairs to stay on the road.

“Food truck clients have told us that they sometimes go hungry ̶ even for days ̶ until our food trucks come. This program, which costs hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, is funded entirely by our supporters. I want to express our deepest gratitude to our donors, who, through their incredible compassion and generosity, continue to provide much-needed nutritious food to vulnerable people across our community,” Peter Tilley, CEO of The Ottawa Mission noted.

“Finally, I want to say to all three levels of government: we need to address the reasons why people across our community and our country are increasingly turning to food-support programs like ours just to survive. We need to address the root causes of why people are turning to these programs, including poverty, lack of meaningful adjustments to income support programs, a continuing lack of affordable and supportive housing, and other factors,” Tilley concluded.

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
T 613.234.1144 x 305
C: 613.712.3092
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com

Food Services Training Program offers hope to students to rebuild their lives

Recent graduates include student fleeing war in Ukraine

Ottawa, ON – Today The Ottawa Mission celebrated the graduation of 12 students of its renowned Food Services Training Program (FSTP) trained at “Chef Ric’s”, the shelter’s social enterprise at 384 Rideau Street.

Since its inception in 2004, almost 90% of FSTP graduates have found employment in the food service industry. Of the 12 students graduating this week, 10 have secured positions in the industry (84%). Chef Ric’s continues to support their search for employment and is confident that they will be working soon.

One of these graduates is Tetiana. An accountant from Ukraine, she fled with her husband after her home city of Mariupol fell to Russian forces. After arriving in Canada, she was accepted into the FSTP. Her husband was offered a job at The Mission’s kitchen, and the shelter found them a free apartment and provided furniture and housewares to make it a true home. Since English is not her first language, Tetiana has found the FTSP “challenging”. But, as she notes, “it’s an amazing opportunity to start a new life in Canada. It means a lot to me. It’s so hard to organize a new life. If not for the help of The Mission, we couldn’t do anything. We were like little birds who had fallen out of our nest. Without The Mission and our host, it would have been impossible.” Tetiana is now a proud and happy employee at Chef Ric’s.

Another graduate is Panah, who is originally from Iran and came to Canada in 2022 after working as a translator in Turkey for refugee support. When she arrived in Canada six months ago, she knew no English, but was supported by Chef Ric’s to learn the language after being accepted into the FSTP. Chef Ric’s also helped Panah find work placements fulltime at the Well, a day program for women and children run by St. John the Evangelist Church and also part-time at Cornerstone Housing for Women. “I want to be independent in Canada. Thank you to everyone at the Ottawa Mission and at Chef Ric’s who have helped me to make a new life here in Canada. I could not have done it without you.”

The FSTP was created in 2004 by Chef Ric Allen-Watson, The Mission’s Director of Food Services. Homeless at age 14, he knows the power of paying it forward. “Someone reached out to me and showed me that education could help. That’s why I started this program: to help other people rebuild their lives.”

Since 2004, 238 people have graduated from the program, almost 90% of whom have gone on to positions in the food services industry. In September 2021, operations for the FSTP were moved from The Ottawa Mission’s kitchen to Chef Ric’s to add more space and increase the capacity of the program. The next session of the FSTP began earlier this week and has 25 registrants.

As Ottawa slowly emerges from the pandemic and also continues to deal with many forces buffeting our community such as inflation and related hunger, The Ottawa Mission anticipates that it will remain the first place of refuge for increasing numbers of vulnerable people going forward for the next several years. “By expanding this incredibly successful program at Chef Ric’s, we’re doing our part to help even more people in need,” Ottawa Mission CEO Peter Tilley concluded.

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
T 613.234.1144 x 305
C: 613.712.3092
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com

Ottawa Mission Smashes Record for Number of Christmas Meals Served

14,030: largest number of holiday meals served in response to ongoing unprecedented need

Ottawa, ON – Ottawa, ON – During this Christmas season, The Ottawa Mission served an astounding 14,030 Christmas meals to people across the city of Ottawa, the highest total of holiday meals ever served in the shelter’s history. The shelter provided a full Christmas meal with all the fixings at its first in-shelter Christmas meal since 2019 for both shelter guests and community clients on December 18 as well as through its 32 food truck program community partner stops and other locations across Ottawa from December 11 – 17.

In addition to this special meal, the occasion also provided a sense of warmth and community to those in need who would otherwise be alone.

The shelter’s annual meal numbers have almost doubled since the beginning of pandemic, rising from 495,000 in 2018 – 2019 to 938,000 in 2021 – 2022. The pandemic and now inflation means even more people are having to choose between feeding themselves and their families or paying their housing costs, and turning to the shelter for help. “I’ve been at The Mission for over 20 years, and I’ve never seen hunger this shocking in our community,” noted Chef Ric Allen-Watson, Director of Food Services at The Mission.

Over 6,500 pounds of turkey as well as 3,200 pounds of potatoes, 1,700 pounds of vegetables, 150 gallons of gravy, and 900 vegetarian quiches went into making these meals. “I want to thank the people of Ottawa for their incredible generosity by donating so many turkeys, produce and other food items to ensure that we could help meet this need by providing a full Christmas dinner to so many people. I also want to thank our kitchen volunteers and staff, who worked so hard to make these meals,” Allen-Watson added.

“While we are very pleased to be having our first in-shelter meal for both shelter guests and community clients since 2019, we remain very concerned about the shocking increase in hunger across our community due to the pandemic and inflation. We look forward to working with all levels of government in 2023 to address those conditions which caused so many people in need to turn to our shelter for help, including poverty, lack of affordable housing, and other factors,” Ottawa Mission CEO Peter Tilley concluded.

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
T 613.234.1144 x 305
C: 613.712.3092
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com

Ottawa Mission anticipates serving almost 14,000 meals this Christmas

Help The Ottawa Mission Feed Hungry Community Members this Christmas by Donating Frozen Turkeys

Ottawa, ON – As we head into the holiday season, planning is well underway for The Ottawa Mission’s annual Christmas Dinner at its shelter, which will take place on Sunday, December 18^th, and also from December 11– 18 through the shelter’s food truck program, which will deliver full Christmas meals throughout the city.

On any given day, The Ottawa Mission serves over 3,000 meals to shelter residents and those in need in the community. This past Thanksgiving, with the addition of a second truck to our food truck program, the shelter served over five times the number of meals it provides during special holidays, rising from 2,500 to 13,605 meals. Due to the shocking increase in hunger across our community, the shelter anticipates serving up to 14,000 special Christmas meals.

“It will take about 6,500 pounds of turkey or 650 ten-pound turkeys to feed everyone who comes to our special Christmas dinner,” says Chef Ric Watson, Director of Food Services at The Mission. “Our kitchen volunteers and staff are working very hard to ensure that everyone will have a delicious turkey dinner by preparing for this very special event in advance.”

Also on the menu will be: 3200 lbs. of potatoes; 1700 lbs. of vegetables; 150 gallons of gravy; and 900 vegetarian quiches.

Members of the public can help ensure that no one in our community goes hungry this Christmas. Frozen turkey donations can be dropped off between 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the garage entrance to The Ottawa Mission at the corner of Waller and Besserer. Please ring the bell and a staff-person will arrive to receive your donation.

Monetary donations to support the Christmas meal are also appreciated and can be made at: https://ottawamission.com/donate/.

About The Ottawa Mission
Since 1906, The Ottawa Mission has been serving the homeless, the hungry and the lost by providing food, clothing, shelter and skills. In 2020-2021, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 118 men every night and served an average of 2,570 meals every day. The Ottawa Mission also provides to men and women health services, mental health and addiction treatment programs, hospice care, dental services, housing services, educational support, job training, spiritual care, and clothing to thousands in need in our community. In September 2020, The Ottawa Mission marked the one millionth hour that the shelter has been in existence since its founding in 1906. In 2019, The Mission became a housing-focused shelter reflective of its commitment to a home for everyone as a human right with the launch of a new housing department.

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
T 613.234.1144 x 305
C 613.712.3092
aleo@ottawamission.com

Ending Homelessness in Ottawa Should Be an Urgent Goal: New Poll

Poll shows that proposing concrete actions to end homelessness has positive impact on voters’ preferences

OTTAWA, ON – As we move closer to the October 24 municipal election, a new poll by Nanos Research shows strong support to address homelessness: Eight in ten residents agree that ending homelessness should be an urgent goal in Ottawa.

“Fueling this are concerns about the cost of housing: almost two in ten residents are worried or somewhat worried about paying their housing costs next month (9% each). Concern is also being driven by experience of homelessness: 12% report having a friend who has been homeless, 7% report a family member who has been homeless, and 4% report having been homeless themselves. Nine in ten Ottawa residents support (73%) or somewhat support (17%) building new affordable housing.” stated Nik Nanos, President of Nanos Research.

These results come almost three years after Ottawa City Council voted unanimously to declare a homelessness emergency in Ottawa in January 2020. At that point, there were over 8,000 people living in emergency shelters. Since the release of the city’s new 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan in 2020, the number of people in shelters and their total length of stay has declined. However, their total numbers and length of stay remains higher than what it was in 2014 when the city’s original 10-Year Plan was introduced, and the number of people sleeping outside has almost doubled, with 210 people estimated to be sleeping outside.

“For years prior to the pandemic, our shelter was at over 100% capacity each night, which meant we had to put mats down on our chapel floor so people would have somewhere to sleep. After the pandemic was declared, our occupancy rate declined from 110% to 94% due to the closure of 60 beds to minimize the risk of infection to clients by diverting clients to overflow shelters opened by the city. However, these spaces are now almost all closed and our occupancy rate has crept back up to almost 100%. With winter coming, more people sleeping outside and COVID-19 still present in our community, I fear for our clients and other vulnerable community members,” stated Peter Tilley, Ottawa Mission CEO.

The poll also showed that proposing concrete actions to end homelessness has a positive impact on the likelihood that voters will support these candidates. “Most residents said that if a candidate for municipal council proposed concrete actions to end homelessness and build safe, affordable housing, they would be more likely (43%) or somewhat more likely (26%) to support these candidates,” added Nanos.

As a housing-focused shelter, The Mission strongly believes that housing is a human right. “Just like emergency wards in hospitals, emergency shelters have their place in the housing continuum. But a shelter is not a home. As a foundation for human dignity, all people should have access to safe, appropriate and affordable housing. We urge voters to become involved in this election by learning about homelessness in Ottawa and asking their candidates about what actions they propose to end it,” concluded Tilley.

The Ottawa Mission’s asks for the 2022 municipal election to #TakeActiongForHomelessness are available here: https://ottawamission.com/get-involved/advocacy/

About The Ottawa Mission
Since 1906, The Ottawa Mission has been serving the homeless, the hungry and the lost by providing food, clothing, shelter and skills. In 2020-2021, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 118 men every night and served an average of 2,570 meals every day. The Ottawa Mission also provides to men and women health services, mental health and addiction treatment programs, hospice care, dental services, housing services, educational support, job training, spiritual care, and clothing to thousands in need in our community. In September 2020, The Ottawa Mission marked the one millionth hour that the shelter has been in existence since its founding in 1906. In 2019, the Mission became a housing-focused shelter reflective of its commitment to a home for everyone as a human right with the launch of a new housing department.

Methodology: Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell-lines) random telephone survey of 819 residents of Ottawa, 18 years of age or older, between October 1st and 8th, 2022. Participants were randomly recruited by telephone using live agents and administered a survey. The sample is geographically stratified to be representative of Ottawa. Individuals were randomly called using random digit dialing with a maximum of five call backs. The margin of error for a random survey of 819 Ottawa residents is ±3.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The research was commissioned by Ottawa Mission and was conducted by Nanos Research.

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
T 613.234.1144 x 305
C 613.712.3092
aleo@ottawamission.com

The Ottawa Citizen: Ottawa Mission serves record number of Thanksgiving dinners

The Mission’s two food trucks were out in the community all week, providing Thanksgiving dinners to those in need. In all, the Mission served a record 13,605 holiday meals by the time the kitchen closed Monday.

A record number of people turned to the Ottawa Mission for a Thanksgiving dinner this year with the rising cost of food and housing eating into the budgets of more city residents.

Helping Those in Need this Thanksgiving: Ottawa Mission Serves 13,605 Thanksgiving Meals – A New Record

Ottawa, ON – During The Ottawa Mission’s annual Thanksgiving dinner program, which was held on October 10^th as well as the week prior to Thanksgiving through the shelter’s food truck program, The Mission served 13,605 meals. On any given day, The Ottawa Mission serves over 3,000 meals to shelter residents and those in need in the community.

“It takes 6,000 pounds of turkey to feed everyone during our special Thanksgiving dinner,” noted Chef Ric Watson, Director of Food Services at The Mission. Also on the menu was: 3000 lbs. peeled potatoes; 2000 lbs. glazed fresh carrots; 150 gallons of gravy; and 900 vegetarian quiches.

Despite being a wealthy city, Ottawa has some of the highest rates of hidden hunger in the province, now made much worse by the pandemic. “Prior to the pandemic, we served 495,360 meals annually. This past year, we served 938,218 meals. That means we served almost one meal for every person in Ottawa,” noted Chef Ric.

This is one reason why The Mission launched its food truck program. Beginning in September 2020 with one truck and five stops serving 500 meals per week, it now has two trucks which deliver over 7,000 meals per week at 32 community partner locations across the city to ensure that those who cannot travel to the shelter do not go hungry. The shelter is working to expand this program is response to continuing overwhelming community need.

“Poverty, homelessness and food insecurity are serious public health issues. We at The Ottawa Mission are doing our part to address shocking increases in hunger and keep people healthy through our meal program,” said Ottawa Mission CEO Peter Tilley. “Now more than ever, our team of staff, volunteers and service partners supported by our donors are working harder than ever to meet the increasing need in our community.”

About The Ottawa Mission
Since 1906, The Ottawa Mission has been serving the homeless, the hungry and the lost by providing food, clothing, shelter and skills. In 2019-2020, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 118 men every night and served an average of 2,570 meals every day. The Ottawa Mission also provides to men and women health services, mental health and addiction treatment programs, hospice care, dental services, housing services, educational support, job training, spiritual care, and clothing to thousands in need in our community. In September 2020, The Ottawa Mission marked the one millionth hour that the shelter has been in existence since its founding in 1906. In 2019, the Mission became a housing-focused shelter reflective of its commitment to a home for everyone as a human right with the launch of a new housing department.

FOR INFORMATION OR TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW PLEASE CONTACT:
Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
The Ottawa Mission
T. 613.234.1144 x 305
C. 613-712-3092
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com

“Portraits of the Ottawa Mission” Exhibition Tell Stories of Compassion, Care and Community

Paintings by renowned Canadian artist Karen Bailey highlight the work of Ottawa’s oldest emergency shelter to support vulnerable community members

OTTAWA, ON – The Ottawa Mission, Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) and renowned artist Karen Bailey have come together to bring the stories of the clients, employees, volunteers, service partners and donors of Ottawa’s oldest and largest homeless shelter in a new exhibition in the Sky Lounge of the OAG at 10 Daly Avenue entitled “Portraits of The Ottawa Mission”. The exhibition runs from September 30 – October 16.

As a nationally recognized artist with an impressive record of artistic excellence over four decades, Bailey has a strong focus on unrepresented individuals, communities, and why their stories are important. In this exhibition, Karen’s sensitive and empathetic brush has captured perfectly those who have turned to The Mission for help, those who have provided it, and the profound connections between them. The exhibition is comprised of 31 paintings completed over a period of 14 months.

“My goal as a painter is to shine a light on underrepresented people and behind the scenes workers. I’ve always wanted to do something with an organization that works with homeless people. The Ottawa Mission is an absolutely remarkable place. I had no idea that there was such a broad range of services available until I came there. And that’s what impresses me most of all,” Bailey noted.

“The Ottawa Mission wanted to get involved in this project because we wanted to highlight the people who are making a difference each and every day in our community,” stated Peter Tilley, Ottawa Mission CEO.

These 31 portraits extend a key principle of The Ottawa Mission: each person has inherent dignity by virtue of being human, and each person is worthy of unconditional acceptance, respect, attention and compassion. Through this exhibition, viewers discover their rich and meaningful stories together.

“Being brought into this project made us feel that our work was really appreciated,” stated Jesse Whynacht, Manager of Housekeeping for The Mission. “It’s nice to know that someone understands what we do and why it’s important,” said Andrew Wright, Assistant Manager of Housekeeping. Featured in a joint portrait situated in The Mission’s laundry, Jesse and Andrew have worked at The Mission for a total of 59 years.

Jean Wylie, who volunteers serving clients in the shelter’s kitchen notes the personal importance of this work to her. “At first, many clients are reluctant to even make eye contact with volunteers and staff. Over time, they come to trust you. Sharing a smile with someone who likely doesn’t get a lot of people smiling at them is an uplifting experience. I’m very grateful.”

As The Mission’s immediate neighbour across Waller Street on Daly, the Ottawa Art Gallery continuously showcases the critical importance of art in Ottawa to realize a sense of meaning, belonging and impact in everyday life. Through showing as well as telling the stories of The Mission and its place within the broader network of community and individual relationships, The Mission is delighted to build on its longstanding partnership with the Ottawa Art Gallery.

“Karen has honed her skill and reputation as a portrait artist with a notable commission by the 27th Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean, to a series on Canadian military medical personnel in Afghanistan through the Canadian Forces Artist Program, to exploring the working animal community through projects like Raising Stanley / Life With Tulia. Her portraits resonate because of her deep commitment to and respect for the individuals and communities she paints. The resulting artworks provide intimate and privileged perspective on the people and relationships that create a sense of belonging, while memorializing communities often overlooked,” said Ottawa Art Gallery Director and CEO Alexandra Badzak. “The Ottawa Art Gallery is honoured to collaborate with The Ottawa Mission and Karen Bailey in sharing these stories of resilience, dignity and care.”

“I’m absolutely delighted to be showing my work at the Ottawa Art Gallery. I’m so proud that my work is going to be shown there,” Bailey added.

“Karen’s stroke of genius is highlighted in each and every one of these portraits. It’s a gift to us, and to the community as a whole,” Tilley concluded.

About the Ottawa Art Gallery
The Ottawa Art Gallery is situated on traditional Anishinābe Aki and is Ottawa’s municipal art gallery and cultural hub. Located in Ottawa’s downtown core, the expanded Gallery is a contemporary luminous cube designed by KPMB Architects and Régis Côté et associés.

FOR INFORMATION OR TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW PLEASE CONTACT:
Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
The Ottawa Mission
T. 613.234.1144 x 305
C. 613-712-3092
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com

Véronique Couillard
Officer, Media, Public and Francophone Relations
Ottawa Art Gallery
T 613-291-1358
E-mail: vcouillard@oaggao.ca