Author Archives: The Ottawa Mission

On Canada’s 150^th birthday, George celebrated one year of sobriety.  His journey to this milestone has been a long and winding one, but he’s thankful to you and The Ottawa Mission for his success.

George is 61 and was born in Cape Anguille, Newfoundland, once a bustling fishing village near Port aux Basques where he was a commercial fisherman for most of his younger years.  When the cod fishery collapsed in 1992 most people in Cape Anguille, George included, lost the only livelihood and sense of community they’d ever known.  Some turned to alcohol to ease their pain, and George was one of them.

Over the years, as George travelled the country searching for sobriety and work, he stayed in shelters in pretty much every major Canadian city.  He says it wasn’t until he arrived at The Ottawa Mission that he finally got the help he needed.

When speaking about The Mission, George will often say that it really is what it claims to be – “more than a shelter” – and that this is what makes a difference to people who often have to navigate the system without the support they need to get back on track.  He says, “At The Mission, no matter what challenges you are facing, there is always someone there to help.”

George’s own journey led him through the full range of addiction treatment available at The Mission, from the Day Program (a daily drop in session) through the Hope program, and Stabilization, and on to our five month residential LifeHouse program.  We also helped George access a Custodial Skills training program where he renewed his certificates in Health & Safety, First Aid and CPR.

Today George is living in one of our 2^nd Stage transitional houses while he works part time, helps out his elderly neighbour with her yard work, and continues his recovery.  As George says, “I wouldn’t be here today without the wonderful staff at The Mission and the people who support their work.”  Fair sailing, George!

As an Inuk boy growing up in Nunavut, John did not have the opportunity for a high school education. The only son in a family of three children, he was obligated to work alongside his father hunting and trapping to help support the family.
While in his 20’s John managed to complete grade 10. This led to job opportunities with the water and sewage department in the Hamlet of Kugluktuk. But John always knew that more education would increase the chances of better work prospects. Sadly, John’s life was derailed over the years as he fell into addiction and trouble with the law.
While staying at the John Howard Society in Ottawa last year, John learned about The Ottawa Mission’s Stepping Stones Learning Centre, and began the final steps in a journey that had taken 39 years. Working 2 days a week for sixteen months in our small classroom, he received instruction from our teacher and also accumulated co-op credits from the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). Throughout his journey, John has been grateful for the support and encouragement he has received from the three partners who were always by his side – the John Howard Society, the OCDSB, and The Mission.
John is also a regular volunteer at St. Margaret’s Church where he helps prepare and clean up before and after their weekly Inuktitut service.
All of John’s hard work and determination led to one of the most important days in his life – June 8, 2017 – when at a special ceremony at the OCDSB’s Continuing Education Building, he was among a group of adults who officially received their high school diplomas!
For John, seeing people from The Mission and from St. Margaret’s in the audience at his graduation was very special. “I never thought this day would come, and I feel proud and confident about the future. I have hope.”
Congratulations John!

There’s nothing better than being part of a team of like-minded people who are working together to achieve a goal. With that in mind The Ottawa Mission Foundation is excited to announce the formation of its Young Professionals Network (YPN).

This group of young professionals in Ottawa will offer members a unique opportunity to make a difference in our community and in the lives of so many people who are homeless, hungry and hurting. It’s about working together to make change happen through event planning, networking and fundraising.

The Ottawa Mission is a special place – and much more than a shelter. We guarantee that by becoming part of the YPN your life will be changed as you change the lives of others.

Learn more about the criteria for joining YPN here.

All across Canada – and especially in Ottawa – excitement is building for the official celebration of Canada’s 150^th birthday.  At The Ottawa Mission we are proud and thankful that we have been helping the homeless in our community for 111 of those 150 years.

As part of the festivities taking place throughout the Nation’s Capital, we were honoured to be gifted with a display space at Inspiration Village in the Byward Market.  We took this opportunity to depict the  legacy of The Mission, and to show with a timeline how we have grown and evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of homeless and hurting people in the community.  Inspiration Village runs until the end of September.  We hope you have a chance to drop by.

For Canada’s 150^th we also issued a Special Edition of our newsletter to mark the occasion – we hope you enjoy it.

As we all celebrate this great milestone in Canada’s history, and The Mission’s 111 years of serving people in need, we would  like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported our work over the years through donations and volunteering.  Your kindness and compassion is overwhelming, and we simply could not do what we do without you.

Happy Canada Day everyone!

June is ‘graduation’ season for many families in the community and one of the highlights of our calendar this month is a special graduation celebration we hold for the men and women in our Food Services Training Program.

10 people have completed the five month commitment to the culinary program. Chef Ric Watson oversees The Mission kitchen and started the program 12 years ago when he saw people on social services coming to The Mission for meals who expressed an interest in learning to cook for themselves. But Chef Ric maintains there’s much more involved in the FSTP than just teaching people to cook. In his words, “this program builds self-esteem and confidence, which are fundamental to success in any career.”

Monique can vouch for that. She has always loved to cook and has had some work experience in different types of kitchens over the last few years. “In my opinion, the Mission kitchen is the best ‘teaching’ kitchen,” says Monique. “The course is giving me the knowledge, purpose and confidence to apply for better types of jobs.”

Unfortunately Monique suffered a broken wrist during the latest session and had to take time away from the course. But she will return to finish her training commitment in the next session of the Food Services training program, which begins July 10. It’s not too late to apply if you or someone you know is looking for a new career.
For information, email the FSTP Coordinator at fstp@ottawamission.com or call 613-234-1144.

At The Ottawa Mission, people of all ages and backgrounds take time out of their busy schedules to volunteer and help people in need. Some people are fortunate to work for companies and organizations that foster the spirit of giving back, and they come in with co-workers as a group and make an even bigger impact.

In recent weeks, we’ve welcomed corporate groups from Raymond James, Xilinx, TELUS, Export Development Canada, Merck and GENBAND, which kicked off June with a global day of service. These corporate volunteer groups help with many different needs – from meal prep in our kitchen to sorting clothing donations in our clothing room.

Volunteering is a great way to learn about the issues around homelessness and be part of the life-changing services that are offered at The Ottawa Mission. If you’d like to learn more about how to you and your co-workers can arrange to volunteer, contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@ottawamission.com or call 613-234-1144.

On behalf of everyone at The Ottawa Mission, a huge thanks to all of our volunteers for the contribution of time and compassion to people in need.