AS I RETIRE…

Many of you will remember the moment when my wife Diane Morrison retired from the good work she had accomplished at The Ottawa Mission. Like my wife before me, I have spent 23 years in faithful service to this ministry and I have decided that the moment has arrived when I should join her in retirement.

Diane and I dedicated ourselves to the work of The Mission, and it has been a privilege and a blessing to be part of your lives for these many years.  I am grateful for the generosity that you, our donors, have shown over the years, through your gifts and your prayers.  Diane and I will now join you as people who support The Mission from a distance by offering our prayers and our gifts for the sake of those who are lonely and homeless.

For Diane and I, this has been our life’s work. With your help we have been able to accomplish much. As we enter our retirement years together, we will continue to be proud of the good work that a new generation of leaders will now carry forward. For the sake of the homeless, we know that you will continue to support them with the same kind of dedication. Thank you for the many years of steadfast faithfulness you have shown during the time of our leadership at The Mission. Thank you for continuing to be faithful to this important ministry.

May God give you every good blessing!

People who volunteer at The Ottawa Mission are motivated to do so for many reasons. For Lilly Priebe and her daughter, Kelsey Gutoskie, their motivation is deeply personal. Just over a year ago, Lilly and Kelsey lost Jordan, their son and brother respectively, to mental illness. Jordan was part of a warm and loving family, and was himself a very kind and caring person. In his memory, Lilly and Kelsey wanted to do something to help others who were suffering who did not have the benefit of family love and support. Their journey led them all the way from Pembroke to volunteer at The Mission.

They have served long hours at our Christmas and Easter holiday dinners, and also fundraised close to $3,000 for our Coldest Night of the Year walk in February. In May, Lilly celebrated her birthday – the first one since losing Jordan. Kelsey wanted this to be a special, uplifting celebration for her mother, so she arranged for them to volunteer in our kitchen that day. She also arranged with the kitchen staff to serve birthday cake to all those who came in for their lunch that day – a real treat!

Lilly and Kelsey would be the first to admit that they are getting so much more from their volunteer work than they are giving. As Lilly says, “The atmosphere at The Mission is wonderful. People who are hungry and homeless are treated with the dignity and human kindness that everyone deserves. And the smiles you get from those you serve are like gifts.”

Lilly and Kelsey are committed to continuing to travel in from Pembroke to The Mission whenever they can, and we are so thankful to have them as part of our volunteer family.

Filomeno arrived in Canada as a refugee from Angola in April 2014. After several months, he still lacked the proper paperwork to enable him to seek employment, and his housing arrangements fell through. This young man had always worked hard, and he was heartbroken at the thought of being homeless. Someone suggested that he seek shelter at The Ottawa Mission, and Filomeno has not looked back!

While staying at the shelter, Filomeno connected with our Client Services Centre, where staff helped him develop a plan for his future. His goals were clear from the start. He wanted to find a job, and he wanted to find a way to give back to his new community.

As a first step, Filomeno looked for a way to improve his English skills. We helped him to enroll in a five month course called “ESL for the Trades” and he passed with flying colours! He also joined our French Club to improve his communication skills. Finally, our staff worked with Filomeno to develop his resume, and helped him obtain his work permit.

Today, Filomeno has achieved his two goals. He is working part time as a dishwasher, and he is volunteering several times a week at another charity where he works in the garden and helps out at their food bank. He has also applied for housing and looks forward to living on his own and continuing to give back in whatever way he can.

Filomeno can’t say enough about the help he has received at The Mission. In his own words, “I am thankful for all the support in this building – you just feel as though everybody cares about you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Barry completed The Ottawa Mission’s LifeHouse addiction treatment program four years ago. During his time with us, he decided to focus not only on his recovery, but also on rebuilding his health. So Barry began participating in The Mission’s weekly Run/Walk Program which provides men staying at the shelter with the opportunity to take part in outdoor exercise with the support of a volunteer coach.

Barry took the program to a whole new level and in 2011, his first year as a runner, he completed a half marathon! This past spring, Barry provided us with an update on his running activities, and we’d like to share this with you.

“I recently participated in Ottawa Race Weekend and completed my second full marathon! What’s more, I set a new personal best, 4 hours and 7 minutes, beating last year’s time by 7 minutes! I’ve come a long way since I first started to run four years ago during my time at The Ottawa Mission.

The Mission supported me through a very difficult time and helped me discover running, which has taught me many of life’s hard learned lessons, like patience, endurance, goal-setting, acceptance and self-love. It has allowed me to spend time with myself and take care of my body by exercising and being mindful of what I eat. I also exercise my mind by meditating while running and being in the moment.

Every time I stop by The Mission I see familiar faces, warm smiles, and people who don’t judge me because of my past, and I’m hoping I can help give back some of what was freely given to me.”

Barry used this marathon, and last year’s as well, to raise funds for The Ottawa Mission for which we are so grateful. It’s wonderful to see a young man not only achieve his sobriety goals, but improve his life in ways that he never dreamed were possible.

Mission accomplished!

When Bruce arrived at The Ottawa Mission in 2014, at over six feet tall he weighed just 140 pounds. His addiction had taken control of his life, and he felt that – after many years of struggling – he had reached the end of the road. What’s happened since then has awakened Bruce to a new life filled with sobriety, good health, and an abundance of hope. But it wasn’t easy…

Bruce tried to complete our Stabilization program – where men receive counselling and support before entering long-term treatment – no less than three times. After three unsuccessful attempts, he was amazed when he was offered a fourth opportunity. As Bruce says, “I was about ready to give up hope of ever getting sober – but the people at The Mission wouldn’t let me. They cared about me and believed in me, and I finally came to believe in myself.”

Bruce made it through Stabilization on his fourth attempt and then enrolled in our five month LifeHouse residential treatment program. He has since finished his time at LifeHouse, and is now living on his own. He still receives aftercare counselling at The Mission on a regular basis as he continues his recovery.

Most importantly for Bruce, he has reconnected with his entire family, and he is finding great joy in getting to know his 7 year old granddaughter and year old grandson.

For Bruce and so many others like him, the gift of hope is a powerful thing indeed.

Emile had his own restaurant when he lived in his native Haiti. When he moved to Canada a few years ago, he was unable to find work in his chosen profession because he lacked the right credentials. He worked at other jobs, as a school crossing guard and in security, but found himself needing social assistance for a time to supplement his income. Then he heard about The Ottawa Mission’s Food Services Training Program and applied right away. And so began Emile’s new journey of hope.

While taking the five-month program – which includes both theory classes and hands-on work in our large commercial kitchen – Emile picked up some new skills and knowledge, and a whole lot of motivation. As Emile says, “The Mission’s Chef Ric is a real inspiration to all the students in the Food Services program. He would often tell us to make sure that we loved what we were doing – that way we’d be cooking from the heart, and it would show in our results.”

Emile’s passion for cooking was rekindled during his time with us, and he has since gone on to a part-time job in the kitchen of a local retirement home, which he loves. He also still works part time in security, and is now able to fully support himself.

Emile plans to continue his culinary schooling at Algonquin College, and he is determined to achieve his ultimate goal of once again having his own restaurant. We know that with
enthusiasm like Emile’s anything is possible!

As I pulled into my parking spot beside The Ottawa Mission a few weeks ago, I was greeted, as I often am, by a few gentlemen out front of the building where we run our LifeHouse residential addiction treatment program.

One man named Lou came over to me and gave me a huge smile. “Notice anything different?” he asked. It suddenly struck me that Lou now had dentures filling a gap in his mouth where there were previously no teeth. He was so proud of his “new look”.

Lou had been connected with The Mission’s Dental Clinic while going through our treatment program. Through the support of you, our donors, and the volunteer dentists who keep our clinic running, he is now holding his head high, and smiling. Lou has also completed the LifeHouse program and is now at our second stage home in the community while he looks for a job and a new home. As Lou says, he’s now looking to the future with more hope than he’s had in years.

Hope, compassion and dignity are what The Mission strives to provide every day of the year. Having just developed our new Strategic Plan, our vision for the next three years is to implement several initiatives that will continue to improve our services. In fact, this month, The Ottawa Mission’s Diane Morrison Hospice will expand from 14 to 21 beds in order to help more men and women receive the care and compassion everyone deserves during their final days.Because of you, so many people are getting the care they need and hope for the future.
Thank you for caring, and helping change lives.

On one final note, I would like to acknowledge the tremendous 23–year contribution of Laird Eddy who is retiring as Executive Director of The Ottawa Mission Foundation. Along with his wife, Diane Morrison, Laird helped to build The Mission into a strong, vital and life-changing organization. We will be forever indebted to them for the legacy they leave behind.

Thank you.