Author Archives: The Ottawa Mission

There was a special ceremony at The Ottawa Mission recently honoring 30 men who have reached significant milestones in their personal journeys towards recovery from addiction.

Some had attended our daily drop in Day Program with perfect attendance for several months as a start on the path to recovery. Others had completed stays of anywhere from two weeks to three months in our Stabilization unit preparing for long term addiction treatment. And six of those in attendance had graduated from our 5-month residential treatment program called LifeHouse.

At the end of the formal proceedings people are invited to come forward to share their thoughts and experiences. Without fail, the stories that emerge from this portion of the ceremony are heartfelt in their praise of the staff and programming available at The Mission. But beyond this, the stories are all inspirational and deeply moving.

The final speaker was a former graduate of LifeHouse who has not only succeeded in maintaining his sobriety after years of addiction, but who has also taken his life in a direction he never dreamed possible. He has completed his first semester of university and had just received his marks – straight A’s!

Every man who spoke that day felt a great sense of accomplishment – regardless of the stage they are at along their road to recovery. And every man who spoke that day has finally arrived at a place where there is hope for the future – where there had once been none.

For all of these people, many small steps have amounted to giant leaps. Congratulations to all!

The Ottawa Mission’s Food Services Training Program is marking its tenth anniversary this year. The 5 month program helps men and women on social services get job skills by working alongside our trained kitchen staff and dedicated volunteers. They also spend one day a week in a classroom learning from a college culinary textbook and take courses in Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, health and safety and the City of Ottawa’s Food Handler’s Certification.

It’s a program that has touched many lives, with 75 people successfully completing it in the past decade.

This week, about 80 supporters of the program gathered in the Mission’s dining room one evening to sample a fabulous dinner prepared by the latest graduates, Alex, Elaine and Dale.  The first annual Food Services Training Program Gala Evening was a huge success. The crowd was especially touched when one of the students, Alex, shared how he had lost everything to addiction. After going through treatment successfully, Alex came to the Mission hoping to get new a new start and a new career. He’s now working full time as a cook and couldn’t be happier, adding he’s always smiling when he’s cooking.

Chef Ric Watson, who was instrumental in starting the Food Services training program a decade ago, says there’s much more involved than just teaching people to cook. In his words, “this program builds self-esteem and confidence, which are fundamental to success in any career.”

Yesterday was a very special day at The Ottawa Mission as we welcomed close to 70 volunteers and donors to a special open house event at the shelter.

We called this event “Walking Together” because we know that the people we serve – the hungry, those recovering from addiction, and those looking for work and a place to live – share their journeys with the volunteers and donors who support them. We wanted to thank them and give them an “up close and personal” look at all aspects of the programs we can offer because of their generosity.

For many, even volunteers, this was a really eye opening experience. One volunteer who has been helping us prepare and serve meals for many years had never been off the main floor of The Mission. She had never visited the clothing room, the medical and dental clinics, the dorm rooms, or the hospice. The experience, for her, was a real education.

For the donors who attended, many had never visited The Mission at all. So, not only had they not seen the areas of the shelter mentioned above, but they didn’t know a whole lot about the building one door down from the shelter – Client Services. They were amazed to see a bustling enterprise where people have access to computers to help with job searches, receive support to find housing, and have access to a variety of education and job training programs. As one donor commented, “What I have seen today – the sheer breadth of services provided here and the professionalism of the staff – gives me every assurance that my donations are being invested very wisely.”

We thank everyone who took the time to visit yesterday, as we thank them for their ongoing support as volunteers and donors. We simply couldn’t do what we do without them. And we know that for all who attended, seeing indeed has led to believing.

If you are interested in visiting The Mission, we would love to welcome you! Please contact Angie Kelly, 613-234-1155, ext. 426, akelly@ottawamission.com to schedule a tour.

Barry arrived in Ottawa in the summer of 2011 looking for help with his drug addiction. He literally left everything behind in his hometown of Sudbury and didn’t know what the future held for him.

Barry found his way to The Ottawa Mission’s Lifehouse treatment program within a few days and shortly after his arrival he was told about the Saturday morning run/walk group. He had tried running before to try and get fit – but this time Barry found running became a tremendous outlet.

“Running regularly took me on an inward journey and taught me many of life’s hard learned lessons, like patience, endurance, goal-setting, acceptance and self-love. It 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. It has been a great stress reliever.”

Barry ran his first half marathon in November 2011 at the TELUS Mission:Possible event. He stunned himself and others by finishing 17^th in a field of 212 runners, with a time of one hour, 37 minutes!

Barry eventually completed the LifeHouse program and continues his recovery journey in the community. He is now working on an advanced diploma in Civil Engineering Technology at Algonquin College.  Running continues to be an outlet for him and 3 months ago he decided to begin training for a marathon and registered for the Ottawa Marathon – which is now just days away! What’s more, Barry wants to use his first marathon run as a way to raise funds and awareness about The Ottawa Mission.

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

If you’d like to support The Ottawa Mission in honor of Barry’s marathon run, visit the our donation page  on this website and write “Barry’s Marathon” in the comment section. Good luck Barry!

Many of the people we see every day at The Ottawa Mission are struggling with addiction. They are also living with tremendous guilt and shame because their behaviour has hurt the people they care about most – their families.

Adam was no exception to this rule.

Adam was born and raised in northern Ontario. Over the years his mother, a single parent, tried hard to help him as he sank into addiction, but her efforts were in vain and the disease took hold. Adam left home one night with a few belongings in a knapsack. His mother spent months looking for him, but he had basically just disappeared. That was a year ago.

Adam arrived at The Ottawa Mission during the cold days of winter, hungry and sick. Shelter staff gave him a bed and a change of clothing, and encouraged him to consider the many treatment options that were available. After attending our drop-in Day Program for several mornings, Adam made the decision to seek long term treatment and entered our 5-month LifeHouse residential program.

During counselling, Adam often broke down when he thought about his mother – how badly he had hurt her and how much he missed her. He was sure that their relationship could not be mended – until the day he made the most important phone call of his life. As Adam says, “That was the day I learned the true meaning of unconditional love.”

There is a special graduation ceremony at the end of every LifeHouse program, and at Adam’s graduation, sitting proudly in the front row, was a mother watching a son who had a new lease on life. It was a beautiful thing to see.

Happy Mother’s Day!

In Ottawa, hunger has many faces. At The Ottawa Mission we serve more than 1295 meals every day. The faces of hunger we see include individuals and families who cannot afford to pay the bills and feed themselves, shelter residents who are out of work and whose only other home is on the streets, people who are undergoing addiction treatment with us, and those participating in our job training or education programs in the hopes of a better life.

On the wall in our dining room is a quote from Chef Ric Allen-Watson who, for the past 12 years has managed our kitchen and who, with the help of generous donors, volunteers and community partners, has put millions of meals on the table for those in need. His quote says: “People have to eat well to be well.”

Chef Ric feels passionately about the difference good, nutritious meals can make. He believes in the power of food to bring hope to those who would otherwise feel forgotten. He sees the gratitude in the faces of those that he encounters every day. He also realizes that what begins as a simple meal often becomes a life changing experience – because so many who come to us hungry end up seeking our help in turning their lives around.

May 5-9 is National Hunger Awareness Week in Canada. If you have not already done so, please consider how you might make a positive impact in the battle against hunger in our community.

 The Ottawa Mission’s Stepping Stones Learning Centre is a small room on the top floor of our Client Services centre located next to the main shelter.  It’s not a formal ‘classroom’ but rather a place where men and women can find support for a number of different educational hurdles – whether it’s completing online courses towards a high school diploma, studying for the GED test,  or getting help with basic literacy.

But education is much more than a textbook, and Stepping Stones is also a place where people can connect with our community. This past week, there were a couple of wonderful opportunities for students currently using the services of our learning centre.

On Tuesday, The Mission’s Education Co-ordinator, Kathy Cillis, organized a field trip to the Museum of Science & Technology. During the visit, the group was allowed to visit the warehouses behind the museum and learn about how items are preserved and archived.

Later in the week, Stepping Stones held a mixed media art class that was open to anyone taking part in programs at The Mission. It brought together people in addiction treatment, people working on education goals, and even someone currently staying in our Hospice. Two retired teachers volunteered their time to help everyone create a personal piece of art related to what the Ottawa Mission means to them.

Activities such as these can help people in shelters, or people ‘at-risk’ of homelessness, form new interests and new friendships, and gain much needed self-confidence.   They also give people a sense of being part of the community.   For all of these reasons, they make a big difference in the lives of those who often have very little to look forward to.

Yet another example of why we say that The Ottawa Mission is “much more than a shelter”.