Author Archives: Myles dingwall

Ottawa Mission Serves 17,601 Easter Meals to Meet Continuing Extreme Hunger in Ottawa – A New Record for Easter

Ottawa, ON – During the Ottawa Mission’s special Easter meal service, which was held on April 21 for shelter and community members in our dining room, as well as the week prior through our Mobile Mission Meals food truck program, the shelter served 17,601 meals to those in need – a new record for an Easter meal. Several elected officials participated in serving this special meal today to shelter guests and community members.

Continuing food inflation, sky-rocketing rents and other factors have meant unprecedented increases in food insecurity in Ottawa, which has risen from one in seven to one in four households according to Ottawa Public Health. To meet this deepening need, The Mission has expanded its food truck program to two trucks, 39 stops across Ottawa and serving over 10,000 meals a week. For the past two fiscal years, the shelter has served over one million meals to vulnerable community members across Ottawa through its community and food truck meals programs.

“This is a new record for our Easter meal and more than five times the number of meals we served for Easter 2019, before the pandemic. The astounding increase in hunger in our community is why we’ve expanded our food truck program so many times across our community,” noted Chef Ric Allen-Watson, Director of Food Services for the Mission.

“Ottawa was already in the grip of a continuing homelessness emergency, an opioid-use epidemic and then the pandemic. And now hunger is at urgent levels across our community because of continuing food inflation and the lack of affordable housing. Our food truck program costs about $900,000 a year and is entirely funded by donations. While we’re glad to be able to support so many people, our capacity to continually expand the number of meals we serve is not infinite. We also need to address the root causes of hunger, including housing and continuing poverty,” noted Ottawa Mission CEO Peter Tilley.

“Our dedicated volunteers and exceptional kitchen staff worked hard to ensure that everyone had a delicious Easter meal. And a special thanks to our donors and supporters who have been profoundly generous in their continuing support of the Mission. A huge thank you to all,” Tilley concluded.

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 2023-2024, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 187 men every night and served an average of 3,103 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
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com

Ottawa Mission Issues New Report Showing that Homelessness and Food Insecurity Have Become Even Worse

Report makes recommendations to each level of government, including federal candidates

Ottawa, ON – Today The Ottawa Mission issued its new “Still Waiting: Enough is Enough” report showing that epidemic levels of homelessness and food insecurity in Ottawa and across Canada have become even worse.

“One year ago, we released our No More Waiting report concerning shocking levels of homelessness and food insecurity across our city, province and country. In 2025, things are even worse. Homelessness in Canada has increased by 20% since 2018. Over 80,000 Ontarians are homeless and could triple to almost 300,000 by 2035. Almost 23% of Canadians across 10 provinces are food insecure, including 2.1 million children. Across Ontario, Toronto, Mississauga and Kingston have declared food insecurity emergencies,” noted Ottawa Mission CEO Peter Tilley.

“And in Ottawa, homelessness has grown to almost 3,000 people, including over 500 who are living on the street. Food insecurity has risen from one in seven to one in four households,” Tilley added.

Ashley Potter, Manager of Frontline Services for The Mission, noted the impact of worsening homelessness at the shelter.

“One year ago, we reported that our shelter had returned to over 100% capacity since the end of the pandemic. Mental health distress, substance use, the loss of affordable housing, and food inflation coupled with an influx of asylum seekers meant that in addition to people sleeping on mats in our chapel, many more slept on chairs in our lounge waiting for a bed to open up. While the number of refugees seeking shelter is starting to decrease in Ottawa, our numbers show that need for shelter beds exceeds availability in this city. In fact, over one in five people who turn to us for help is an asylum seeker. And we know because clients have told us that they are directed to our shelter by federal officials at the airport,” he noted.

“In March, the City of Ottawa said that it would not proceed with “sprung shelters” to accommodate asylum seekers since their numbers were declining, and concerns that these structures would not be ready for next winter. The City is continuing negotiations with the federal government concerning the proposed newcomer reception centre for Ottawa. We’ll follow the impact of this change as it unfolds across Ottawa and within our own shelter since, while our own numbers of refugees have declined, they remain higher than they were before the pandemic. In the end, it comes down to two questions: 1) why are negotiations for the refugee centre taking so long; and 2) while they continue, why are federal officials directing people fleeing war, violence and persecution to our shelter, where they have to sleep in our chapel or lounge?” Potter added.

Chef Ric Allen-Watson, Director of Food Services at The Mission, confirmed the stunning impact of worsening food insecurity at the shelter. “Before the pandemic, our annual meal total was just over 495,000 meals. In 2020, we introduced our food truck program as a response to skyrocketing rates of food insecurity during the pandemic with one truck, five stops and 500 meals per week. In 2025, that program has grown to two trucks, 39 stops, and over 10,000 meals per week. Many program stops are located close to Ottawa Community Housing buildings so that vulnerable residents have access to healthy food. As a result, in 2022–2023 and 2023–2024, our shelter served over 1 million and 1.1 million meals respectively to people who would have otherwise gone hungry. This year, we will likely serve about 1.3 million meals. To be blunt: that’s insane.”

Allen-Watson recalled one program client named Ryan who often runs out of money two weeks before the end of the month. “He said: ‘I just wait. I go two, three days without eating, sometimes four.” But when our truck comes, he said, ‘I don’t have to go hungry today.’ That was over four years ago, when the program had 14 stops and served 2,000 meals a week. Many more people now turn to us for help, including families with children. This is wrong and it shouldn’t be happening in our city or our country.”

Tilley noted the impact of escalating catastrophic rates of homelessness and food insecurity on our community’s most vulnerable members and the not-for-profit charities such as the Mission that care for them. “Over five years ago, the City of Ottawa declared a homelessness emergency. Since then, more people have fallen into homelessness, including an Indigenous man and newcomer grandmother who died in January after exposure to bitterly cold temperatures. Meanwhile charities like ours are stretched even thinner to meet the needs of even more people who find themselves homeless and hungry.”

“How many more people who never thought they would become homeless or go hungry will turn to charities like ours for help when governments are not there for them? Charities continue to step up to try to meet those needs, but our capacity is not infinite,” Tilley concluded.

The Mission is calling on candidates in the current federal campaign to commit to:
• Implementing a Homelessness Prevention and Housing Benefit to support up to 385,000 households at risk of homelessness and help over 50,000 people leave homelessness.
• Creating programs for non-profit housing providers to support: the purchase of existing rental housing projects and hotels; the facilitation of office-to-residential conversions; and the acquisition of vacant land for new builds.
• Enhancing support to municipalities to provide assistance to refugees and asylum seekers by implementing the National Plan for Asylum with Dignity by the Canadian Council for Refugees.

The Mission is calling on the provincial government to:
• Address the erosion of affordable housing across Ontario by: Reintroducing rent controls to buildings erected after November 2018; and fully implementing Bill 97 to amend the Residential Tenancies Act and prohibit bad-faith renovictions.
• End chronic homelessness by implementing the recommendations of the 2025 report on homelessness by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, including: investing $11 billion over 10 years to create 75,000 new affordable and supportive housing units; and $2 billion over eight years to ensure people in encampments are safely housed.
• Address inadequate incomes for vulnerable Ontarians by: increasing both social assistance rates to enable vulnerable Ontarians to live with dignity and security and the provincial minimum wage to enable earners to meet their expenses; and reviewing the UNESCO findings concerning the 2017–2019 Ontario basic income program with a view to re-establishing this program.

The Mission is calling on the City of Ottawa to:
• Support measures to address food insecurity within the City’s Poverty Reduction Strategy appropriate to the need.
• Support the expansion of not-for-profit housing in Ottawa through: supplying municipal land at no cost to not-for-profit housing providers and community land trusts; revising zoning to support scaling up affordable housing; and changing the approval process for new not-for-profit housing.
• Increase the annual budget of new affordable housing by: returning to the 2023 figure of $30 million for investments in new affordable housing; and applying annual increases to this amount reflective of actual housing costs in Ottawa.

Still Waiting: Enough is Enough – Read the report

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 graduate 27 students to new careers and lives

Ottawa, ON – Today the Ottawa Mission celebrated the graduation of 27 students of its renowned Food Services Training Program (FSTP) trained at “Chef Ric’s”, the shelter’s social enterprise at 384 Rideau Street.

One of these students is Curasa Clayton, who found the FSTP after moving to Ottawa “looking for a fresh start and a safe place to heal. I was a little worried that I was too old to be trying something so new: to start over in such a way. But I took a deep breath and took the plunge.” After graduation, Curasa will be applying to the Culinary Management program for further training to advance her new career.

Fellow graduate Janine Harrington also found a fresh start through enrolling in the FSTP. “I worked for 15 years as a Registered Massage Therapist. I have always had a passion for nutrition, food and cooking. When I started this program, I was pumped, because I knew I was challenging myself on many levels. I’m kind of stubborn, so I put my foot down and said “You can do anything for 4 months and you’re doing this.” Janine is currently employed at Tulips and Maple, a catering company, and will be enrolling in the Culinary Management program for further training to advance her culinary career.

This graduating class of 2025 is the first one after the 20th anniversary of the program in 2024. In that time, over 400 students have graduated, 90% of whom went on to careers in the food service industry. The FSTP was created by Chef Ric Allen-Watson, the Mission’s Director of Food Services. Homeless at age 14, he knows the power of paying it forward. “When I started at the Mission in 2002, I saw myself in the faces of the people I served food to. While it was satisfying, it wasn’t enough. That’s why I started the FSTP: to help vulnerable people more by supporting them to become independent. I can’t wait to help even more people over the next 20 years of the program.”

The FSTP is funded entirely by donations. With both homelessness and food insecurity at record levels in Ottawa, this program is needed now more than ever. “I want to express my sincere thanks to our incredibly generous donors, who have changed so many lives in our community for the better by your continuing support for this program,” 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 Serves 17,789 Christmas Meals – A New Record

Ottawa, ON – During The Ottawa Mission’s annual Christmas meal, which was held on December 15, as well as the week prior to this date through the shelter’s food truck program, The Mission served 17,789 meals – a new record for a special meal service.

“It took 7000 lbs. of turkey, 3500 lbs. of peeled potatoes, 2000 lbs. of vegetables, 150 gallons of gravy, and 900 vegetarian quiches to ensure that those who turn to us for help this Christmas did not go hungry,” said Chef Ric Allen-Watson, Director of Food Services for the Mission.

Ottawa Public Health recently reported that the rate of food security has risen from one in seven to one in four households. “In my 22 years at The Ottawa Mission, I’ve never seen hunger this bad.” Allen-Watson added.

Prior to the pandemic, The Mission served 495,360 meals annually. This past fiscal year, it served an astounding 1,132,470 meals, a 235% increase. “Our shelter continues to face unprecedented need in the wake of very serious challenges in a post-pandemic environment, the most shocking of which is the skyrocketing rate of hunger,” stated Peter Tilley, Ottawa Mission CEO.

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.

“While we’re pleased to be providing this special meal for both shelter guests and community clients, we remain very concerned about the shocking increase in hunger across our community. We look forward to working with all levels of government in 2025 to address those conditions which caused so many people in need to turn to our shelter for help, including poverty and growing income insecurity, a continuing lack of affordable and supportive 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 celebrates 20th anniversary of its renowned Food Services Training Program

Shelter also announces the Maintenance Services Training Program, a new job training program to train vulnerable community members to obtain employment as building superintendents

Ottawa, ON – Today The Ottawa Mission celebrated the 20th anniversary of the shelter’s renowned Food Services Training Program (FSTP), which provides students the education, skills, certifications, and confidence needed to work in a commercial kitchen. Launched by Director of Food Services Chef Ric Allen-Watson in 2004, the program has grown from a handful of students during its early years to now graduating more than 70 students per year, approximately 90% of whom go on to new careers in the food service industry.

Allen-Watson started the FSTP to pay forward the kindness shown to him by a mentor, who showed him the possibility of a better life through cooking. “Unfortunately, my mother suffered from mental illness, so when I was 14, she asked me to leave our home. I was homeless and lived a pretty rough life. Despite that, I managed to get a dishwashing job at a Queen’s University dining hall. A coworker, who knew I was struggling, saw my potential. Encouragement and guidance saved my life and gave me a future.”

Originally the program was designed to support people who were homeless and also at risk of being homeless. Now, it also helps newcomers. “Regardless of your background, you only need one thing to be accepted: a strong desire to change your life. Students receive certifications in food handling, occupational health and safety, and First Aid/CPR. And if they have additional needs, such as housing, support to learn English, or anything else, we provide that support to them to be successful,” Allen-Watson added.

One of these graduates is Sammy Amponsah. Seeking political asylum, he came to Canada in 2007 determined to build a better life. After graduation, he spent many years working for a local food services company, returning to The Mission in 2021 to assume the position of Kitchen Manager at Chef Ric’s. In addition to what he learned through the FSTP, the shelter helped him to improve his English and obtain his grade 12 equivalency, as well as supporting his efforts to bring his wife to Canada. “No other organization could have given me the support that the Mission did. For that, I’m very grateful.”

Today, there are many FSTP graduates working in some of the best food establishments all over our city. One of these is Thyme & Again, owned by Sheila Whyte a long-time partner and supporter of the FSTP. “I first met Chef Ric at a University of Ottawa leadership program in 2008. Once he told me about the program, I was keen to get involved. It wasn’t long before we began taking on some students for their work placements, and over the years, we’ve hired numerous FSTP grads who’ve gone on to be long-serving members of our team. These students have come well-trained, well-prepared, and with a wonderful attitude of wanting to make things work. It’s easy to hire them after their work placements have ended with us,” Whyte noted.

Based on the growth and success of the FSTP, The Mission is embarking on piloting a new job training program called the Maintenance Services Training Program (MSTP) to provide instruction and hands-on training for people to become building superintendents upon graduation. “It’s modelled on the FSTP, providing theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and certifications for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to secure employment in this sector. As with the FSTP, students will pay no costs and only need one criteria to be accepted: a genuine desire to improve their situation,” stated Andy Higgs. Manager of Maintenance at The Mission and the lead for this new program, which is expected to start in November 2024.

Neither the FSTP nor the MSTP receive any government funding. “None of this could have happened without the support of both our amazing and generous donors, but also the Mission’s Board of Directors, who strongly support both these great programs,” 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 Serves 17,257 Thanksgiving Meals – A New Record

Ottawa, ON – During The Ottawa Mission’s annual Thanksgiving meal, which was held on October 14^thas well as the week prior to Thanksgiving through the shelter’s food truck program, The Mission served 17, 257 meals – a new record for a special meal service.

“It takes 7,000 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: 3500 lbs. of peeled potatoes; 2000 lbs. of glazed fresh carrots; 150 gallons of gravy; and 900 vegetarian quiches. “This Thanksgiving meal count is yet another example of the overwhelming need for food in our community.”

Prior to the pandemic, The Mission served 495,360 meals annually. This past fiscal year, it served an astounding 1,132,470 meals, a 235% increase. “Our shelter continues to face unprecedented need in the wake of very serious challenges in a post-pandemic environment, the most shocking of which is the skyrocketing rate of hunger,” stated Peter Tilley, Ottawa Mission CEO.

“While we’re glad that we’re able to serve so many people in need, they should not have to choose between paying their rent and feeding themselves and their families,” Allen-Watson added.

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 10,000 meals per week at 38 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 in 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 vulnerable people healthy through our meal program. 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. We need real solutions to hunger in our community, including more affordable housing, which is a primary driver of food insecurity,” Tilley concluded.

+ View photos from our 2024 Thanksgiving meal.

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 2023-2024, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 187 men every night and served an average of 3,103 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
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com

Ottawa Mission Copes with Unprecedented Need

Shelter’s capacity to respond to catastrophic levels of homelessness and food insecurity stretched by providing support to huge numbers of asylum seekers as well

Ottawa, ON – Today The Ottawa Mission released its annual impact report outlining its support of increasing numbers of vulnerable community members over its past fiscal year, a situation that has been made more challenging by a significant increase in arrivals of asylum seekers with no apparent government support.

“Over four years after Ottawa City Council declared a homelessness emergency, homelessness has returned to catastrophic levels, with even more people living in shelters and encampments. The lack of affordable and supportive housing, mental health distress, substance use, job loss, and high inflation for essentials such as food and rent, have pushed our shelter’s capacity to cope to the limit. This has meant all emergency shelter beds and mats laid down on our chapel floor this past year were full,” CEO Peter Tilley noted.

“In the summer of 2023, the number of asylum seekers arriving at our shelter increased significantly. By October, the number of refugees occupying our shelter beds was at an all-time high of 61%. No one’s introduction to a new country and a new life should be a homeless shelter,” Tilley added.

This influx of asylum seekers has had multiple impacts across The Mission’s operations, including meal, frontline, and case management services, and the provision of clothing and footwear. Chef Ric Allen-Watson, Director Food Services, outlined the impact on the shelter’s meal program. “Before the pandemic, we served 495,360 meals annually. This past year, we served an astounding 1,132,470 meals. This is the second year in a row that we’ve served over one million meals, and this year’s meal number represents an increase of 235% from before the pandemic,” noted Chef Ric Allen-Watson, The Mission’s Director of Food Services.

In response to worsening hunger across Ottawa, The Mission launched its food truck program in September 2020, Beginning with one truck, five stops, and 500 meals per week; it has expanded to two trucks and 38 stops serving 7,889 meals per week. The Mission also provided groceries to clients who receive a meal. This past fiscal year, the shelter handed out 78,125 bags of groceries. “Many clients have told us that they go hungry until our trucks come. Other clients have said that our trucks help them with feeding their families since the cost of groceries has risen so much,” added Allen-Watson.

Ashley Potter, Manager of Frontline Services for The Mission, outlined the impact of the increase of asylum seekers on Frontline services at the shelter. “Frontline staff are the first point of contact for anyone seeking help. We were already at overcapacity before last summer. Since then, given the lack of available shelter beds and chapel mats – and no beds elsewhere since all shelters in Ottawa are full ̶ on average, 27 people slept on chairs in our lounge each night, and we’ve had to turn away, on average, 48 individuals each night to alternate accommodation. We’ve also had to buy winter clothing and toiletries since many newcomers arrive here with nothing, which has further strained our budgets for these items.”

Supporting asylum seekers has also impacted case management services across programs. As one example, Kristin Schilkie, Manager of Housing for The Mission, noted how the extreme challenge of finding safe and affordable housing for clients has been affected by the increase in asylum seekers. “Rents rose over 9% in Ottawa last year. For those living on low incomes, this means a far greater risk of homelessness. In fact, 10% of people living in shelters are employed, but cannot afford these sky-high rents. Now, housing case managers and workers, who normally work to find housing for clients, are busy helping newcomers navigate registering as refugees. Despite these conditions, The Mission continues to place clients into safe and affordable housing. Last year our shelter successfully housed 270 people – more than the total number of emergency dorm beds at our shelter,” Schilkie added.

The Mission also achieved impressive results across its many other programs, including:

Providing emergency shelter to 1,549 unique individuals.
Providing 105 clients help with resumes.
Providing 77 clients with mental health referrals.
Helping 146 clients achieve their educational goals.
Training 72 Food Service Training Program graduates, 54 of whom were employed at graduation.
Supporting 105 Addiction and Trauma Services graduates on their journey to wellness and recovery and reducing their risk of relapse.
Providing compassionate and evidence-based care through 3,490 primary care patient encounters, 44 new Hospice admissions, 407 dental care patient visits, and 130 ophthalmology and optometry patient encounters.
Bringing comfort and solace to clients through our Chaplaincy services.

In April, in response to unprecedented levels of homelessness and food insecurity, The Mission issued a major report with recommendations to municipal, provincial and federal governments to address the underlying causes of these conditions. “Like hospital emergency rooms, emergency shelters are the entry point for so many people within the homelessness continuum of care. Given the overwhelming need to support so many vulnerable people, we call on all levels of government to increase their funding, policies and programming for affordable housing, food insecurity, income insecurity, as well as supports for asylum seekers, and those suffering from mental health conditions and substance use,” Tilley concluded.

You can view our impact report video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7b2gHXxivs&list=PLeBQrzPBYMqq3YtjEO3FDJdR8T5PmDqoG&index=6

About The Ottawa Mission

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 graduate students to new careers and lives

Ottawa, ON – Today the Ottawa Mission celebrated the graduation of 31 students of its renowned Food Services Training Program (FSTP) trained at “Chef Ric’s”, the shelter’s social enterprise at 384 Rideau Street.

One of these graduates is Brian Arinaitwe, a determined young man from Uganda working hard to make a new life for himself in his adopted country. His experience at Chef Ric’s has made this easier. “In many ways, the FSTP has been like family to me. Chef Ric’s, where we had our classes and cooking lessons, is a safe and comfortable place where I learned a lot and got to know my fellow students as well as the staff and guest instructors. As a person new to Canada, this made me feel less alone, which is so important when you come to a new country to make a new life for yourself.” Brian is now a proud new employee at a local coffee shop and also at Farm Boy in Ottawa.

2024 marks the 20^th anniversary since the inception of the FSTP, and this cohort is the 41^th graduation ceremony for the program. Since that time, the program has graduated 390 students, over 90% of whom have found employment in the food service industry. The program was created by Chef Ric Allen-Watson, the Mission’s Director of Food Services. Homeless at age 14, he knows the power of paying it forward.

“When I started at the Mission in 2002, I saw myself in the faces of the people I served food to. While it was satisfying, it wasn’t enough. That’s why I started the FSTP: to help vulnerable people even more by supporting them to become independent. After 20 years, I couldn’t be happier that we continue to help so many people who need support.”

With both homelessness and food insecurity at record levels in Ottawa, the FSTP, which is funded entirely by donations to the Mission, is needed now more than ever. “I want to express my sincere thanks to our incredibly generous donors, who have changed so many lives in our community for the better by your continuing support for this program,” long-term Board member Jack Murta concluded.

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 2022-2023, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 177 men every night and served an average of 2,898 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
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com

Food Services Training Program graduate students to new careers and lives

Ottawa, ON – Today The Ottawa Mission celebrated the graduation of 26 students of its renowned Food Services Training Program (FSTP) trained at “Chef Ric’s”, the shelter’s social enterprise at 384 Rideau Street.

One of these graduates is Raven Spade, an Ojibwe graduate who is class valedictorian. Originally from Whitesand First Nation north of Thunder Bay, she heard about the FSTP while staying at a women’s shelter in Ottawa. “I came to Ottawa with 3 kids and only 3 bags. I was starting from scratch,” she notes.

One of Raven’s course highlights was preparing Indigenous cuisine for the Mission’s Country Food Feast. Cooking for the Indigenous community is especially meaningful and also one of her culinary career goals. In fact, she’s now cooking for Larga Baffin, a local medical boarding home for those traveling from Nunavut for medical services. “I am looking for something Indigenous-specific. I’ve also really enjoyed my practical experience at both Chef Ric’s and The Mission, so I would also be happy to work in either kitchen.”

Raven appreciated not only the training she received with the FSTP, but the program’s flexibility. “I’m a single mom. I don’t think other programs would allow me to work my schedule around caring for my daughter, but the FSTP did.” Raven is also thankful for the stability that the FSTP has provided her. “I’m now housed, and thankful to be on this path to substantial employment. My goal is to have stable income as I raise my kids. I’ve been given the opportunity to find stability for my children and for that, I’m so thankful.”

2024 marks the 20th anniversary since the inception of the FSTP, and this cohort is the 40th graduation ceremony for the program. Since that time, the program has graduated 360 students, almost 90% of whom have found employment in the food service industry. The program was created by Chef Ric Allen-Watson, The Mission’s Director of Food Services. Homeless at age 14, he knows the power of paying it forward. “I started this program to help other people in need. After 20 years, I couldn’t be happier that we’ve helped and continue to help so many people in our community who need support.”

As Ottawa continues to deal with chronically high inflation, hunger, poverty and homelessness, The Mission will remain the first place of refuge for increasing numbers of vulnerable people for the next several years. “At Chef Ric’s, we’re doing our part to help even more people in need by helping people graduate to new lives,” 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 Issues Major Report Highlighting Epidemic Levels of Homelessness and Food Insecurity

Ottawa, ON – Today The Ottawa Mission issued a major report on epidemic levels of homelessness and food insecurity in Ottawa and across Canada. Ottawa Mission CEO Peter Tilley noted this impact in stark terms. “For the past several years, our shelter has dealt with a homelessness emergency, increased mental health distress and substance use, as well as food inflation. This has stretched our capacity to serve vulnerable community members to the limit. On top of this, since last summer, our shelter has seen record numbers of newcomers turn to us for help. This continues to have a major impact on our operations, including our meal service, frontline, clothing room, and our housing case managers.”

Chef Ric Allen-Watson, Director of Food Services for the shelter, confirmed this impact on the shelter’s meal numbers. “The meals we provided to our community doubled during the pandemic, rising to over one million in 2022 – 2023. This is astonishing when you remember that Ottawa has just over one million people. This has been driven by our food truck program, which started as a pandemic response with five community partners and has grown to now 35 organizations across our city. With so many newcomers now under our roof, our annual meal numbers will rise even higher to between 1.1 to 1.2 million meals. Our food truck program costs almost $1 million per year, and we have to absorb these additional costs on top of that.”

Ashley Potter, Manager of Frontline Services for The Mission, noted the impact of recent arrivals on frontline operations and related supports. “Frontline staff are the first point of contact for anyone seeking help. We were already at overcapacity before last summer, with all our dorm beds plus nine mats for people to sleep on in our chapel floor also full. Since last summer, we’ve also had dozens of newcomers and others sleeping on chairs in our lounge every night, and have had to turn others away to alternative accommodation. We’ve also had to purchase winter clothing as well as toiletries since many newcomers arrive here with nothing. Meeting this increased need has further strained our budgets for these items.”

CEO Tilley noted the impact of providing housing services to newcomers within a very difficult housing environment. “Over the course of the pandemic, despite almost no affordable housing in Ottawa and the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, our housing case managers were able to place 424 clients into housing. This was not easy, but a permanent home is always our goal for our shelter guests. Now, instead of working to help guests find permanent homes, our housing staff are helping newcomers navigate the process to apply for refugee status, which means our ability to help shelter guests to find new homes has been impacted.”

These developments are occurring against a backdrop of epidemic levels of homelessness and food insecurity in Ottawa, Ontario and across Canada. Despite the National Housing Strategy commitment to housing as a human right and access to food as part of the federal poverty reduction strategy to ensure dignity, the lives of millions of people are compromised by these factors.

Vulnerable populations, including refugees and asylum seekers, are at particular risk of these conditions. The Mission is urging the federal government to end the distinction between refugee claimants and asylum seekers by establishing welcome centres to support new arrivals, and flow additional funds to the City of Ottawa to support newcomers.

Recent announcements by the federal government concerning housing and a national school food program are encouraging. Having said this, to make meaningful progress on unprecedented food insecurity and homelessness, The Mission is calling on the federal government to:

Implement a Homelessness Prevention and Housing Benefit to support households at risk of homelessness, help people leave homelessness, and reduce pressure on Canada’s homelessness systems.
Implement all recommendations from the Federal Housing Advocate on encampments through launching a National Encampments Response Plan by August 31 to save lives.
Implement all recommendations from the Auditor General of Canada’s 2022 report on the National Housing Strategy.
Implement a grocer’s code of conduct to ensure transparency and fairness in food prices and further measures in addition to its recently announced school food policy to address food insecurity in children.

The Mission is also encouraged by recent announcements concerning housing and homelessness by the government of Ontario. In addition to these commitments, The Mission is also calling on the government of Ontario to:

Implement all recommendations from the Auditor General of Ontario’s 2021 audit of homelessness programs.
Address the erosion of affordable housing by reintroducing rent controls to buildings erected after November 2018, increasing the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit and making it permanent and clarifying the Residential Tenancies Act to support municipal bylaws to prohibit bad faith renovictions.
Address inadequate incomes for vulnerable Ontarians by increasing social assistance rates to enable those receiving this benefit to live with dignity and security as well as the provincial minimum wage to enable earners to meet their expenses without having to work multiple positions.

“As Ottawa’s oldest and largest homeless shelter, we urge all governments to work together to ensure that safe, appropriate and affordable housing and nutritious food are human rights for all Canadians and not a luxury only for those who can afford them,” CEO Tilley concluded.

Read Report: No More Waiting: A Call to Action Against Homelessness and Food Insecurity

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