Author Archives: Mitch Vandenborn

Ottawa, ON – As we head into the holiday session, planning is well underway for The Ottawa Mission’s annual Christmas Dinner, which will take place on Sunday, December 19th.

Covid19 protocols to keep shelter guests, community members,
employees and volunteers safe while continuing to deliver essential support remain in place at the shelter. Accordingly, the Christmas meal for shelter guests will begin at 11:00 am in the Mission dining room. The Christmas meal for community members who would otherwise go hungry will be available at the garage entrance beginning at 11:00 am – 3 pm. To continue to support vulnerable community members as much as possible, The Mission will also continue to provide two additional meals for community members to take with them.

The impact of the continuing pandemic on hunger in Ottawa has been profound. In 2020 – 2021, the number of meals served by The Ottawa Mission grew by 40% from the previous year to 727,903 meals to shelter residents and those in need in the community. Because of worsening hunger, the shelter introduced its food truck program in September 2020, which has grown to providing over 3,000 meals each week in 19 locations throughout the city. The week before December 19th, at all food truck stops, The Mission will serve a full Christmas dinner to anyone who requests one. Since September 2020, the food truck has served over 170,000 meals. Because of the addition of the food truck meals, The Mission estimates that it will serve 5,500 – 6,000 holiday meals this year, up from the 2,500 – 3,000 meal totals in previous years before the pandemic.

“It will take 4,500 pounds of turkey, or 250 large 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 ensure everyone will have a delicious turkey dinner by preparing for this very special event in advance.”

Also on the menu will be: 100 pans of stuffing; 6,000 dinner rolls; 3,000 lbs. peeled potatoes 1,000 lbs. glazed fresh carrots; 150 gallons of gravy; 900 vegetarian quiches; and 6,000 desserts. Frozen turkey donations can be dropped off between 7 am – 5 pm at the garage entrance to The Ottawa Mission at the corner of Waller and Besserer. Please ring the bell and a staffperson will arrive to receive your donation.

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 2020-2021, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 185 men every night and served an average of 1,994 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 its housing department. Visit ottawamission.com to learn more.

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
T 613.234.1144 x 305
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com

More than 90% of graduating students secure employment in the food services industry

Ottawa, ON – Today the first class of Food Services Training Program (FSPT) students trained within “Chef Ric’s”, The Ottawa Mission’s new social enterprise housed within the former Rideau Bakery, received their diplomas. Of the 13 graduates for this class, 12 have found employment in the sector.

One of those graduates is Erica Lafrance. A survivor of abuse and violence, she relocated to Ottawa with her children to rebuild her life. When she heard about the FSTP, she knew it would help her get back on her feet. “When I first heard about Chef Ric’s, there was something very comforting about it. I love the community feel of Chef Ric’s. There’s compassion and there’s heart here. Because of this program, I’m in the driver’s seat of my own life now.” Erica is working at a local restaurant and couldn’t be happier.

The FSTP is the creation of Chef Ric Allen-Watson, The Mission’s Director of Food Services. Finding himself alone and homeless at age 14, he knows the power of paying it forward. “Someone reached out to me and showed me that education could help. And that why I started this program: to give people the help they need to rebuild their lives.”

Since the inception of the FSTP in 2004, 203 people have graduated from the program, 90% of whom have gone on to positions in the food services industry. In September 2021, operations for the FSTP were moved from the shelter to Chef Ric’s to add more space and train up to 75 people each year, doubling the capacity of the program.

“As Ottawa gradually emerges from the pandemic, we anticipate that The Ottawa Mission will remain the first place of refuge for increasing numbers of very 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 CEP Peter Tilley 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 2020-2021, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 185 men every night and served an average of 1,994 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 its housing department. Visit ottawamission.com to learn more.

FOR INFORMATION OR TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW PLEASE CONTACT:

Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
T 613.234.1144 x 305
613-712-3092
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com

Ottawa, ON – During The Ottawa Mission’s annual Thanksgiving dinner program, which was held on October 12^th as well as the week prior to Thanksgiving through the shelter’s food truck program, The Mission served 6189 meals. On any given day, The Ottawa Mission serves over 2,500 meals to shelter residents and those in need in the community. During special meals such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, The Mission provides 5,000 – 6,000 meals for those who would otherwise go hungry.

“It takes 4,000 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: dinner rolls (5,000); peeled potatoes (2500 lbs); glazed fresh carrots (1000 lbs); gravy (150 gallons); vegetarian quiche (900); individually wrapped desserts (5,000).

Despite being a wealthy city, Ottawa has some of the highest rates of hidden hunger in the province. The riding of Rideau-Vanier where The Mission is located has the highest use of food banks in Ontario. As well, Ottawa South and Ottawa West-Nepean are among the 10 ridings with the most food bank users per capita.

Food insecurity contributes to poor mental health, diabetes and heart disease. In 2020 – 2021, The Mission served 727,903 meals to those who would otherwise go hungry, the highest number in the shelter’s history. If current trends continue, the shelter will deliver 900,000 – 1 million meals in 2021 – 2022.

The continuing pandemic, now in its 20^th month, has made hunger in our community much worse. This is one reason why The Mission launched its food truck program, which delivers over 3,000 meals per week at 19 community partner locations across the city to ensure that those who cannot travel to the shelter due to disability, lack of funds for transportation, or other reasons do not go hungry. The shelter is working to expand this program is response to overwhelming community need.

“Poverty, homelessness and food insecurity are serious public health issues. We at the Ottawa Mission are doing our part to address hunger and keep people healthy through our meal program,” said Ottawa Mission CEO Peter Tilley. “Our kitchen volunteers and staff worked very hard to ensure that everyone had a delicious turkey dinner. And our donors and supporters have been profoundly generous in their support. A huge thank you to all,” Tilley 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 2020-2021, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 185 men every night and served an average of 1,994 meals every day.  The Ottawa Mission also provides health services, mental health and addiction treatment programs, hospice care, dental services, housing services, educational support, job training, spiritual care, and clothing to thousands of men and women 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 its housing department. Visit ottawamission.com to learn more.

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Aileen Leo

Director of Communications

T 613.234.1144 x 305

C 613.712.3092

aleo@ottawamission.com

Shelter also releases community impact report, including providing 728,000 meals in response to hunger 

 Ottawa, ON – Today, The Ottawa Mission and Ottawa Inner City Health (OICH) marked the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Diane Morrison Hospice to provide palliative care to homeless community members. 

Wendy Muckle, CEO of Ottawa Inner City Health, noted the reason the Hospice was founded. “People who are homeless or street-involved have a much higher burden of serious physical and mental health conditions and addictions. As a result, our clients can die up to 20 years’ earlier than people who have permanent homes. Think of that: because you have no home, your risk of premature death increases dramatically.” 

A fundamental principle of the Hospice is that no one dies alone. The provision of care is based on ensuring the dignity of all people reflective of their inherent value as human beings. The Hospice extends unconditional acceptance to people who are homeless by providing palliative care appropriate to their needs. 

A federal grant enabled OICH and The Mission to establish the Hospice. By bringing care directly to those who are homelessness, the project sought to show that this model of care is more accessible, appropriate, and improves clinical outcomes. “Over the past 20 years, the Hospice has demonstrated this,” Muckle added. 

Dr. Jeffrey Turnbull, OICH Medical Director, noted the evolution of the burden of illness of Hospice patients and the care provided to them. “While 20 years ago AIDS was a major cause of mortality for people who were homeless, with advances in treatment, premature death for this population has dramatically declined. Now, the causes of death are related to the impact of addictions and mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other afflictions. This population suffers from very high rates of alcohol consumption, smoking and other addictions, which leads to cancer, Hepatitis C, and organ failure.” 

While many people within the Hospice die within months, some do not. They have chronic palliative conditions, which have a life expectancy of one year, compared to those patients with terminal conditions which end in premature death within three months or less. With their admission to the Hospice, they receive care, proper nutrition, and other supports, so their health improves and they can return to where they were living before or in new accommodation. “The Hospice has proven that people with lived experience of homelessness who are ill can get better with the proper care and supportive services,” Dr. Turnbull added. 

In addition to providing appropriate and accessible care, the Hospice is also cost-effective. Five years after it opened, a review of the Hospice’s cost-effectiveness was undertaken. This analysis determined that compared to the acute care system where the cost per patient would have been $900 per day, care within the Hospice cost $70 per day. Over the course of one year, cost savings for care were projected for a group of 28 patients at $1.39 million. The Mission and OICH are exploring options to update this analysis based on this evolving context to reflect the current work of the Hospice, combining both acute and chronic palliative care.

 Lynn Landis, Director of Health Services for The Mission, noted the circle of care that the Hospice provides. “We provide a person-centred atmosphere that celebrates the life of our patients. They have personal effects in their rooms, and special celebrations include birthdays and holiday parties. Personal support and peer support workers help patients through assistance with activities of daily living such as feeding and bathing, as well as listening to patients. Many patients have painful conditions such as cancer, and pain and symptom management is essential to ensure their comfort. Managing addiction is also critical. Managed Alcohol and Managed Opioid Programs employ a harm reduction approach through providing patients small amounts of each substance throughout the day. Their physical and psychological symptoms are controlled, and their quality of life is improved.” 

Landis also spoke of the importance of spiritual care, including grief support. “Spiritual pain and loneliness are some of the most profound afflictions of people who are homeless. Many are estranged from their families and have few or no friends. Our circle of care surrounds them, including spiritual support. Our spiritual care team listen to their stories and provide comfort, alleviating their fears. When a patient dies a memorial service is held to allow a patient’s family, friends, Hospice volunteers and colleagues to provide solace to one another,” she added. 

Learn more about The Ottawa Mission’s Hospice at 20

The Mission also released its annual impact report which outlines its community impact over its past fiscal year. Among the most significant responses by the shelter to community need during the pandemic has been a huge increase in the number of meals over last year through its modified community meal service as well as its food truck service. Beginning with five stops delivering 500 meals per week, this food truck service now has 19 locations rotating throughout Ottawa 7 days a week that deliver over 3,000 meals per week. Since it started, the food truck has delivered more than 150,000 meals to people across Ottawa. The Mission also has a waiting list of partners who want to join this program. “This has meant that over our last fiscal year, we served almost 728,000 meals. Every time I think of this figure, I’m blown away by the level of need and the number of people this represents,” noted Mission Director of Food Services Chef Ric Allen-Watson. 

“If current trends continue, this year we’ll deliver between 900,000 and 1 million meals. Every single day our truck goes out across Ottawa, and hundreds of people line up to receive the meals they need to survive. People line up in walkers, in wheelchairs, and with their kids. People who never had to worry about feeding themselves and their families until Covid-19 arrived come to our truck to survive. Food truck clients tell us that they go hungry, sometimes for days, until our truck comes. In a wealthy city like Ottawa, this is wrong – just plain wrong,” Allen-Watson added. 

Despite the ongoing impact of Covid-19, Peter Tilley noted the additional accomplishments of The Mission over the past year, including: 

• Providing emergency shelter to 1244 people.
• Finding permanent homes for 144 people.
• Hosting 15,362 primary care patient consults in its health clinic working with OICH.
• Having 85 graduations from its Addiction and Trauma Services program, and 39 graduations from its education and job training programs.
• And work to open “Chef Ric’s”, the Mission’s new social enterprise which expands our successful Food Services Training Program and provides healthy food to people at very affordable prices. 

“Ottawa was already experiencing a homelessness emergency and opioid-use epidemic before COVID-19. Given the impact of the pandemic on our collective mental health, finances, food insecurity and risk of homelessness, we anticipate remaining the first place of refuge for even more vulnerable people after the pandemic has passed,” Tilley concluded. 

Learn more about The Ottawa Mission’s impact

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 2020-2021, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 185 men every night and served an average of 1,994 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 its housing department. Visit ottawamission.com to learn more. 

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, ON – As we head into the fall, planning is well underway for The Ottawa Mission’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner at its shelter, which will take place on Monday, October 11^th, and also from October 4 – 11 through its food truck program.

Covid19 protocols to keep shelter guests, community members, employees and volunteers safe while continuing to deliver essential support continue at the shelter. Accordingly, the meal for shelter guests will begin at 11:30 am in the Mission dining room. The Thanksgiving meal for community members will be available at the garage entrance beginning at 11:00 am. To continue to support vulnerable community members as much as possible, The Mission will also continue to provide two additional meals for community members to take with them. The Mission’s food truck program will also serve a full Thanksgiving meals to everyone who accesses this service the week prior to the October 11 meal.

On any given day, The Ottawa Mission serves over 2,500 meals to shelter residents and those in need in the community. Last Thanksgiving, The Mission provided over 5,700 meals for this special occasion for those who would otherwise go hungry.

“It takes about 4,000 pounds of turkey, to feed everyone who comes to our special Thanksgiving dinner,” says Chef Ric Watson, Director of Food Services at The Mission. “Our kitchen volunteers and staff are working very hard to ensure that to ensure everyone will have a delicious turkey dinner by preparing for this very special event in advance.”

Also on the menu will be: mashed potato (2500 lbs); glazed fresh carrots (1000 lbs); vegetarian quiche (900); fresh baked rolls (5,000); giblet gravy (150 gallons); individually wrapped desserts (5000).

Frozen turkey donations can be dropped off between 7 am – 5 pm at the garage entrance to The Ottawa Mission at the corner of Waller and Besserer. Please ring the bell and a staffperson will arrive to receive your donation.

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 197 men every night and served an average of 1,422 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
E-mail: aleo@ottawamission.com