Author Archives: The Ottawa Mission

For many people Valentine’s Day includes planning a special meal for people we care about. The same is true at The Ottawa Mission. Every year, we work hard to make sure that those who are alone feel included on this special day. And we always have help from our generous community!

This year once again Mayor Jim Watson and members of City Council are front and centre on Friday, February 12, sponsoring our Valentine’s lunch, and personally serving the meal in our dining room at The Mission.

A delicious Valentine’s themed menu has been concocted – including heart-shaped pasta! – and there will be special dessert treats as well. And when word gets out that the Mayor and Councillors will be there, it gives everyone who is attending a real boost. It means a great deal to those coming in for a meal that people with very busy lives take the time to make this extra effort. It really lifts their spirits – especially during the long Winter months.

The Bible tells us to love our neighbour as ourselves, and the kindness and generosity of people like the Councillors in giving those in need a special day is a demonstration of the true spirit of loving your neighbour.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

John is 52 years old and has lived in the Ottawa area all his life. He has always worked – for many years as a tire technician, and also in food services. Behind the scenes, however, John was living with a growing addiction – one that had him in its grasp for 28 long years. It eventually cost him his house, his marriage, and his family relationships.

John came to The Mission because he knew he needed to make big changes in his life – and he needed help. He spent time in our dry wing and in our Stabilization unit, and he is proud to say today that he has been clean and sober for 9 months and is now living in transitional housing in the community.

After he had moved on from the shelter, John remembered hearing about The Mission’s Food Services Training Program. He decided to apply for the 5-month program, was accepted, and graduated this past fall. John is now working full-time in the kitchen at Carleton University and is more hopeful about his future than he has been in many years.

John is grateful for everyone at The Mission he has met during his journey. From the Chaplain, to the counsellors, and Chef Ric and the kitchen staff – all have played an important part in his success. As John says, “People at The Mission helped me to accept the past and move on – in my case to a whole new life and a whole new career.”

Another reason for John’s newfound sense of optimism is that, over the last several months, he has been able to reconnect with his family. This past November, John attended his mother’s 78th birthday party with the rest of his family. A family photo was taken to mark the event and, for the first time in a very long time, John was proudly in the picture.

Being homeless during the winter months is a tough go. Not only is it more difficult to get around for those looking for housing or jobs, but staying indoors in a shelter with limited public space and cramped bedrooms, only adds to the stress of many people in crisis.
As we anxiously await the warmer weather, many people are signing up to take part in a special event next month to show their support for people in need at The Ottawa Mission. On Saturday, February 20, The Mission’s second annual Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk will be held on a downtown route.
Among the walkers will be our own Chef Ric Watson, who along with other Mission staff and volunteers, have created a team to fundraise and walk together at the event. “I feel it’s important to come together, show our support and really walk a mile in the shoes of people who stay at The Ottawa Mission,” says Chef Ric. “It may not actually be the coldest night of the year when we are out walking, but we all can imagine what that would feel like. And what’s great, is we’ll be making some great chili and hot chocolate for everyone after the walk!”
As well, almost 60 volunteers will be on hand February 20^th to help us ensure the event goes smoothly – many of them standing outdoors in the cold to ensure no one strays from the route or falls down. We hope you will join us and enter your team to support for our Coldest Night of the Year walk. Here’s the link https://coldestnightoftheyear.org/location/ottawadowntown
Your support warms our hearts and the hearts of those staying at The Ottawa Mission, even during the cold winter weather.

Thank You!

David is an articulate and accomplished young man with a very busy life. Along with running his own small business, he has been volunteering at several community agencies for years. He is also a victim of childhood trauma who spent many years trying to cope with bad memories. Sadly, this eventually led him down the path to addiction.

This past year, David decided that he needed to find a way to come to terms with his past and deal with his addiction because he felt he was in danger of losing everything he had worked hard to achieve. He knew The Ottawa Mission by reputation, and came to us for help. And, according to David, he has received so much more than he could have imagined.

David came to our Stabilization unit in August of last year, and spent a month preparing for long term addiction treatment. He entered our LifeHouse residential treatment program a month later. David cannot say enough about his experience at LifeHouse. He says his five months there gave him the time he needed to reflect on the past, and the tools and life skills he needed to build a better life. “I’ve finally found a way to achieve balance in my life. It used to be all about balancing my work and my community service, while not dealing with my addiction, but now there is a third, all-important element – and that’s recovery. “

David is now back at home and he continues to focus on his recovery with aftercare counselling at The Mission. At the same time, he wants to share his experience to help others who are suffering from trauma, so he is in training to be a peer counsellor. He will always be a busy person, but now he looks forward with hope to a much brighter future.

Jason has made some big changes in his life over the past couple of years and says he’s very much looking forward to continuing his journey  in 2016.
Not only has he sought help for his addiction, Jason has also spent a lot of time this past year at The Ottawa Mission’s Stepping Stones Learning Centre. With the support and guidance of our full-time teacher, he has completed 3 out of 8 online courses as he works towards a certificate in Medical Transcription.
What’s more, Jason now has a new place to live! Over the past few months, he has worked closely with our housing support workers to find a safe and affordable place of his own – and the housing workers also helped to find him some donations of furniture!
Most importantly, Jason has gained a sense of confidence and self-worth after many years of struggling. He is so thankful to The Mission – and to everyone who has donated to programs like the Stepping Stones Learning Centre to keep them running – for the tremendous encouragement he has been given, and continues to receive, as he moves forward with hope.
Happy New Year Jason!

This year, for the sixth year in a row, The Ottawa Mission will be serving a special dessert as part of its annual Christmas Dinner on December 20. As is often the case, special things are brought about by special people and, in this case, that special person is Josée Cowley.

Josée is the founder and chief organizer of an adventure called “Cupcakes 4 Christmas”. Each year, early in November, Josée launches an on-line and word-of-mouth campaign looking for “bakers with heart” to help bake, decorate and deliver an amazing 3,000 yummy cupcakes by the appointed date. She provides detailed baking, packaging and delivery instructions and, by the way, also does some serious baking herself – with the help of her husband and five children. Josée estimates that upwards of 40 families get involved each year, and the quota is always met!

Beyond this, Josée is a strong supporter of The Mission, and she makes sure to spread the word about other ways that people can get involved to help those who need it most. As Josée says, “It is nice to be able to do something positive at this time of year to help those who aren’t as fortunate. It’s just a good feeling.”

We are so thankful for Josee’s dedication and hard work, and so are the people who attend our Christmas dinner. You only have to see the smiles on the faces of our guests when the cupcakes are served to know that this special gesture means a great deal to people who often have so little to celebrate. Thank you Josée!

 Adam’s early life was filled with hardship and tragedy. Throughout his childhood his parents suffered from addiction and Adam also fell into addiction in his early teens. By the time he was 20 he had lost two siblings to violent death. Adam was living a life filled with anger and mistrust.

Adam came to The Ottawa Mission in 2007 desperate for help. He had heard about our LifeHouse residential addiction treatment program, and was determined to make a change.

It’s now been eight years since Adam graduated from LifeHouse, and he still can’t say enough about what he took away from the experience. “I had very few life skills when I came to The Mission. I was also angry at a lot of people in my life. I learned how to forgive – myself and others – and how to manage my addiction. These are priceless gifts, and I feel blessed.”

Adam has turned his blessings into action in the past year. He has worked hard to find a way of fulfilling his dream of using his past experiences to help others who are struggling. For the past several months, Adam has been volunteering weekly at The Mission’s Day Program where he offers encouragement and support to others who are dealing with trauma and addiction. He has also been spending time helping young offenders at another community agency. Adam is giving back in a big way.

His volunteer work is Adam’s gift to those who need help as much as he once did, and this Christmas will be brighter for many people who are struggling because of his selflessness and generosity of spirit.