This past week at The Mission we celebrated the achievements of 47 men who have reached important milestones in their road to recovery from addiction.

For Bill, it was recognition for 3 consecutive months of daily attendance at our drop in Day Program – something that seemed unattainable at this time last year and is such an important first step towards changing his life.

For Warren, it was completing 30 days in our Stabilization Program, staying sober and gaining the strength he needed to commit to long term addiction treatment. It was the first time in many long years that Warren had achieved sobriety for any stretch of time and now he’s ready for the next step.

For Pierre, it was finishing five months of intensive residential treatment at our LifeHouse facility, and moving back into the community – yet another step towards regaining a full and productive life.

For these three, and all of the others being recognized and celebrated yesterday, it was a time to pause with pride and celebrate the hard work they’ve done on their recovery journey, and look ahead to a future filled with hope.

Congratulations to all!

Next week is National Volunteer Week – a time to recognize, celebrate and thank Canada’s 12.7 million volunteers, including some very special people we see every week at The Ottawa Mission. Our dedicated, compassionate army of volunteers – an average of 250 a week! – help to care for hundreds of people every day of the year at our shelter.

You feed the hungry, by helping to prepare and serve an average of 1,300 meals every day, and by giving us great support at our special holiday dinners at Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter.

You help organize and distribute hundreds of items of clothing, bringing warmth and a sense of pride to people who have so little.

You give your time to individuals in the Stepping Stones Learning Centre, working one-on-one with students who are trying to reach educational goals that will help them find good jobs.

You bring smiles to the faces of those who often have little to smile about, by pitching in to help run our special bingo and movie nights.

You come by yourself, with your family, or your church, school groups, or co-workers. You give the precious gift of your time. But what this really means is that you are giving the gifts of kindness, compassion and hope to so many who would otherwise feel forgotten – and these gifts are priceless.

Thank you, dear volunteers, for all that you do.

Kevin’s life is in transition. For the past 4 months, he has been drug and alcohol free after battling addiction for many years. And now Kevin’s recovery journey is also in transition.

At The Ottawa Mission, the addiction and trauma team try to meet people where they are in their journey. Some are still actively using drugs and alcohol and are contemplating treatment and looking for information about what options are available to them. Some men have been in recovery and have relapsed and need help getting back on track. Others are in recovery and are working very hard to overcome the triggers that might cause a relapse.

Kevin’s addiction cost him his family, his job and he says he was almost out of hope too. He came to The Mission’s Day Program first, which is for men who may still be using drugs and alcohol, but want to stop. When he made the decision to stop using, he transitioned to our Stabilization program. The 13 beds in Stabilization are for men who want to pursue treatment and need a few weeks to determine what treatment options they can access. Sometimes there is a waiting list to get into a program and The Mission helps support men in recovery until a spot opens up for them.

Kevin was eventually able to move from Stabilization to The Mission’s LifeHouse program – a five month residential addiction treatment program. Now, two weeks into LifeHouse, he’s amazed at the progress he’s made since he first came to The Mission, and the support he’s getting from staff as well as other men in the program.  “There is always someone at The Mission I can talk to when I’m sorting things out,” he says. “That has helped change the way I look at my addiction and my life – I have hope and I’m very grateful for that.” 

Easter is almost here!  At The Ottawa Mission’s celebration on Monday, March 28 we expect to serve more than 2,500 meals to people who have nowhere else to go.  Our hope – and our goal – is that anyone in need is taken care of and given a special Easter dinner.

Our kitchen is a busy place all the time, with an average of 1,300 meals served every day, but on holidays like Easter we make an extra effort.  The dining room is decorated, our generous donors have written their greetings on the place mats that will be used on the day, 2,400 pounds of roast beef and all the trimmings are being prepared, and the many volunteers who will be serving meals throughout the day are ready to roll.

It’s always so gratifying to witness how much events like this mean to the people who attend.  There is a special feeling of joy in the room – a feeling, for many, that means they matter – that they have not been forgotten.

So, at this blessed time of the year, we extend to all of our donors and volunteers our deepest gratitude for your support – at Easter and throughout the year. We thank you for bringing good food, fellowship and hope to so many.

P.S.  It’s not too late to help with our Easter dinner.  Click here to give a warm meal and the gift of hope.

Every weekday at 10:55 a.m. a general announcement is made over the intercom at The Ottawa Mission by our Chaplain, Cosmas Ajawara: “Chapel service begins in five minutes. Everyone is welcome.”

People staying at the shelter, and people who live in the community join together to routinely fill the fifty chapel seats for this daily half hour of prayer, bible readings and song, and it’s always a special treat for staff and visitors to hear music and singing voices throughout the building.

The Lenten season leading up to Easter is an especially important time of the year for those who attend chapel. This year there will be special services on Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Chaplain Cosmas has also selected bible readings and songs for the daily services that focus on the suffering Christ endured, and how people can offer up their own suffering as disciples of Christ.

A lot of us observe Lent by making a personal sacrifice of some sort – like giving up special treats. For those who are homeless, hungry and hurting, sacrifice and suffering are constants in their lives, something they live with every day. And the strength they show in enduring many hardships, in always trying to make better lives for themselves, and in maintaining their faith throughout, is something we can all learn from – during Lent and all year round.

The season will culminate in a special celebration of the risen Lord on Easter Monday, March 28 when we expect to serve 2500 meals to anyone who is hungry or alone. The gratitude of those who attend this celebration is something our staff and volunteers carry with them in their hearts through Easter and beyond.

The Ottawa Mission has been a partner in a very special program called Discovery University for several years now. DU allows people who are homeless or living on low incomes the opportunity to participate in non-credit, university-level Humanities and Social Sciences courses at no cost. This program is offered by The Ottawa Mission in partnership with the University of Ottawa, St. Paul University, and First Baptist Church, and is supported by generous donations from the community. The courses are taught on campus by university professors, and all textbooks and course materials are also provided at no cost.

This winter, there are two classes underway. The first one is “Brave New World – Ethical reflections on genetics, biotechnology and medicine in the 21st century”. This course examines the frontiers of medicine through the lens of ethics and each week the class discusses the ethical challenges posed by recent advances in medicine.

The second course is “The Geography of Home” which examines houses and homes from various angles and perspectives all related to social geography including history, economics and politics. Mary Anne is a student in this course. She tells us that Discovery U has made a very positive impact on her life.

“Discovery University has been a source of healing in my life”, says Mary Anne. “It has provided a sense of normalcy, when at the age of 60, I suddenly found myself homeless and penniless. It has rekindled my passion for learning, my love of reading and of taking part in discussion groups. I am so grateful for DU.”

When the two winter courses wrap up in a month, Mary Anne and the other men and women who complete the course will celebrate their love of learning at a special graduation ceremony. If you or someone you know would like more information about future DU courses, please email our DU Coordinator at discoveryu@ottawamission.com or call 613-914-4575.

The Ottawa Mission depends on donations from people in the community so that vital services and life-changing programs are provided to people in need who walk through our doors looking for help. Our donors are very special people – generous, committed and compassionate.

The Ottawa Mission Foundation was established in 2010 to oversee donations and fundraising activities so that those providing front line programs and services at the shelter could focus on their work without having the additional responsibility of raising funds.

We are very pleased to announce the Board of The Mission Foundation recently appointed a new Executive Director. Sean Wong will join us on February 29^th.

Sean has spent 18 years working in the fundraising community. He previously held positions at The Salvation Army, University Hospitals Kingston Foundation and most recently, at Oxfam Canada where he was Director of Marketing and Fund Development. Sean succeeds Laird Eddy who retired from this position last fall.

As Peter Tilley, Executive Director at The Ottawa Mission says, “We rely on The Ottawa Mission Foundation team and their unique expertise to support everything we do at The Mission. Sean’s leadership will provide us with the continuing high level of support we need, and our donors need, to ensure that funds are available to support people who are homeless in our community.”

Welcome Sean!

For many of the people who stay with us at The Ottawa Mission, or who come in for meals, family takes on a whole new meaning.

John suffered for years from mental illness and addiction. His family had long ago given up on him when he came to us looking for help. That was more than five years ago. While he stayed with us, John received treatment for his addiction and medical support for his mental issues. He is now back living in the community, but he remains an important part of our family at The Mission – visiting us on a regular basis, and offering support and encouragement to others who are suffering. John knows he is always welcome here.

Fern lives alone in a small subsidized apartment and has been coming to The Mission for meals and to attend Chapel services for more than 20 years. Despite often being in pain because of severe arthritis, Fern makes the effort to visit us almost every day. He is always a bright light for us, and everyone here knows his name. We are like family to Fern, and we feel the same way about him.

So, while many of those we serve may not have families in the traditional sense, we work hard to make sure that anyone who comes to The Mission feels special, welcome and respected – and it is our hope that people like John and Fern feel like every day is family day.

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.