Ride for Refuge is an annual bike-a-thon that supports more than 175 charities serving homeless and vulnerable people across Canada and the U.S.

This year’s event in Ottawa took place on Saturday, October 5 and, for the first time, The Ottawa Mission was one of the partner charities.  Overall, close to 300 cyclists participated, and 72 of those made up ten teams that raised funds specifically for The Mission.

Cyclists had the option of choosing a 10k, 25k or 50k route – so there was something for everyone – and lots of entire families participated.

At the end of the day, we are thrilled to report that the 72 people riding for The Ottawa Mission surpassed their combined goal of $7,500 and raised over $10,000 in our first year of participating.  Bravo!

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the event sponsors, to everyone who participated, and to all those who supported the riders.  Your generosity will help us feed, shelter and provide hope to hundreds of people in need this Thanksgiving season.

For the fifth year running a uniquely decorated RV pulled up outside The Ottawa Mission on Daly Street this morning to make a special delivery – of men’s underwear. And you can always tell who’s coming down the street because of the white briefs billowing from their side-view mirrors!

Since 2009, Brent King and Robb Price have been spearheading the “Got Ginch” campaign to help thousands of people across Canada by providing homeless shelters with this much-needed item. Through generous support and lots of fundraising work, they are able to purchase a bulk shipment of underwear and personally delivery it to shelters from Vancouver to Halifax.

Today, The Ottawa Mission was the 8th stop in their cross-country odyssey, and there was a good crowd of Mission staff and residents on hand to greet them and to thank them for their wonderful generosity.

This year, for the first time, Got Ginch teamed up with a new initiative – called “Need Knickers” – and was able to make women’s underwear part of the special delivery to shelters. In Ottawa, “Need Knickers” delivered boxes of women’s underwear to Cornerstone, an emergency shelter for women.

Our thanks to Brent and Robb for keeping this wonderful initiative going over the years, and we look forward to seeing them again in 2014.     Godspeed on the rest of your journey!

Everyone else’s routine has returned to normal this month – and this is also the case for The Ottawa Mission’s kitchen. But it was anything but ‘a holiday’ over the summer for staff and volunteers who prepare and serve more than 1250 meals a day, as our kitchen underwent a much-needed renovation.

At the end of July, a 44-foot mobile kitchen pulled up next to The Mission and within two days everyone had a new routine.  For the entire month of August, food was cooked outside and then transferred back inside to a temporary serving area. Some things stayed the same – like meal times and the dining room space – and the rest seemed to fall into place.  And for people in need who rely on us, there was no interruption in service.

Thanks to the hard work of The Ottawa Mission’s maintenance team, the renovation finished on time and on budget – no small feat. The cost of the project could have been significantly higher without their skills and hard work. Several local companies also generously supported the renovation with discounted products or services.

The layout of the kitchen has not changed much, but it sure sparkles now! The entire floor is new and the old deteriorating painted drywall has been replaced with either stainless steel or white PVC walls. These will last for many years and will be much easier to keep clean.

As the Thanksgiving season quickly approaches, our kitchen is back in business and ready for the beginning of our busiest time of year.

The Ottawa Mission would like to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude all of our donors for their kind and generous support over the years.  We simply would not be able to serve the growing numbers of those in need in our community without you.

In particular, we would like to highlight the significant impact of those donors who choose to give monthly – people like Sophia and Adam (pictured).  We call these friends Champions of Hope, and we would like to thank all of those who have recently responded to us and joined these ranks.

When donors like Sophia and Adam choose to make regular monthly gifts, not only is it more convenient for them, but we are able to save on the expense of producing and sending a mail appeal.  This is money that can immediately be put to work providing 1250 meals every day, shelter, medical care, job training, addiction treatment, and so much more.

Sophia has been a monthly donor for years.  When Sophia and Adam were married just over a year ago, she shared her thoughts about The Mission with him.  Together they decided to find out more about this place that somehow felt special.  So Sophia and Adam came for a tour.  For both of them, this was a true revelation.    As Sophia says, “There is so much going on that we were not aware of.  The Hospice is a beautiful and peaceful place, the client services centre is filled with people using computers to find jobs and getting help with housing, and the rooms in the shelter are spotless.”

Sophia and Adam are now more confident than ever that their monthly investment is a very wise one, and they are committed to continuing their support so that we can provide food, shelter and life-changing programs every day.  Thank you to all of our Champions of Hope.

To find out more about becoming a monthly donor – a Champion of Hope – please call Angie Kelly at 613-234-1155, ext. 426, or email akelly@ottawamission.com.   To arrange for a tour – everyone is welcome – please call Shirley Roy at 513-234-114, ext. 305 or email sroy@ottawamission.com.

Last week marked my first month in my new role as Executive Director of The Ottawa Mission.  To say this has been a remarkable month for me would be a huge understatement. As I have become more familiar with the wide scope of programming offered here, I have been impressed every step of the way by the professionalism, expertise and compassion of the staff. Here’s just one example.

On one of my first days on the job I was approached by a man who had worked for me in a previous career.  He had come to a very bad place in his life and had arrived at The Mission the night before desperate for help and with nowhere else to turn. A few short hours later, I spotted him having a consultation with one of our case managers. These are people who meet one-on-one with those who book into the shelter, and help guide them towards the right resources – whether that is addiction treatment, medical or mental health care, or education, employment or housing support services.

As the days passed, this man approached me often in the hallways to express his gratitude for the wonderful care he was receiving, and for the valuable help he was getting from many different parts of the organization. When I saw him just a couple of days ago, he was so grateful that he was moved to tears. He kept thanking me personally for all that was being done to help him regain his health and get his life back on track. Clearly, all of the credit goes to the outstanding people who work here and, by extension, to all of those who support The Mission as donors and volunteers.

I am so proud and happy to be a part of The Ottawa Mission Family. Thank you.

Peter Tilley
Executive Director
The Ottawa Mission

Imagine going into a job interview wearing the same everyday clothes you’ve worn for several weeks in the summer heat.  Imagine how the interviewers might look at you, and how that would affect your confidence and make you feel embarrassed. This is exactly the situation for many at-risk men who come into The Ottawa Mission while searching for jobs and trying to change their lives for the better.

Fortunately The Ottawa Mission receives donations of men’s clothing from many generous people in the community. Our volunteers help us to sort out the donations and hang everything in The Mission’s clothing room. Thanks to these donations, we can help provide our clients with appropriate clothing for the season, as well as for important life events such as job interviews, funerals, or graduations.

Being able to put on a suit and tie before heading to a job interview can be the difference between hope and despair; between dignity and shame.

Once again this summer, we are proud to be benefiting from the Moores Canadian Suit Drive, which runs from July 1^st to July 31^st.   Throughout the month, Moores is offering 50% off the regular price of retail items (some exceptions) to people who bring in donations of gently used dress shirts, pants and suits at local Moores store.

All Moores locations are involved in the promotion, but the two locations supporting The Ottawa Mission specifically are:

• 145 Trainyards Drive, Unit 2, Ottawa, ON
• 2085 Tenth Line Road, Cumberland, ON

See the PDF poster below or visit canadiansuitdrive.com for more information.

A second chance can begin with a first impression. Save on your next suit and give the gift of dignity to someone in need!

[button link=”https://ottawamission.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2013-Moores-Flyer-for-Suit-Drive.pdf” target=”blank”]See the poster[/button]

June means graduation day for many students in schools, colleges and universities across our city.  It is a time filled with pride, laughter, tears and hope for the future.

At The Ottawa Mission there will be two graduation days in June, and these are always special occasions because they truly demonstrate how our programs are changing lives for the better. Meet just two of the graduates we will be honouring.

Aleem is a young man who had always had a job, but suddenly found himself laid off.  After trying hard to find a new position, he ended up having to collect social assistance. He wanted so much to get back on track but he needed help.  Aleem says he always liked cooking but had no formal training. When he learned about The Mission’s Food Services Training Program he applied right away.  Five months later, he is about to graduate, already has a full time restaurant job, and plans to continue his education in food services.  Aleem’s graduation day is June 5.

Sam is another man who also always worked, mostly as a waiter which he loved. When addiction took control of his life, he ended up where he never expected to be, jobless and homeless.  He prayed to God for guidance and when someone suggested he seek help at The Mission, his decision to do so changed his life.  After 5 months in our LifeHouse residential treatment program Sam is now living in the community and is back working as a waiter.  While staying with us, he also took classes online at our Stepping Stones learning centre and earned the final two credits towards his high school diploma.  Sam’s graduation day is June 12.

On June 5^th and 12^th you can be sure there will be laughter, tears, and a great deal of pride and hope at The Ottawa Mission.