Due to the recent increase of COVID-19 cases in Ottawa, Shepherds of Good Hope, The Salvation Army Ottawa Booth Centre, Cornerstone Housing for Women and The Ottawa Mission, in coordination with Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and Ottawa Inner City Health (OICH), proactively initiated sector-wide testing earlier this month. As a result of this testing, multiple positive cases have been identified at these locations.

All shelter residents who tested positive have been moved to isolation centres, and any staff who test positive are isolating at home. Further testing is ongoing at all emergency shelters and will continue in the days ahead. In each instance of a positive test, contact tracing is done with the guidance and lead of OPH and OICH.
We are actively working with OPH, OICH and other community partners, including the City of Ottawa, to ensure that consistent and enhanced measures are in place to respond to this evolving situation.

In order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, our emergency shelters are not currently taking new admissions. We are working closely with the City of Ottawa to identify appropriate shelter accommodations for any additional individuals seeking assistance.

Our organizations are so thankful for the support we have received from our community throughout this pandemic. We recognize that this has been especially hard on people experiencing homelessness or those precariously housed. The wellbeing of our clients, volunteers and employees remains our top priority.

The staff and volunteers at each of our organizations have been working tirelessly since March 2020, in challenging circumstances, to support some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Further questions regarding these outbreaks should be directed to Ottawa Public Health.

A confident smile can light up any encounter, especially when we meet people for the first time, but poor dental health can inhibit one’s self confidence, impair proper digestion, and even lead to complications such as heart disease and diabetes. Sadly, people who are homeless or living in poverty simply do not have access to regular dental check-ups. And so, when The Ottawa Mission opened what is now known as the DYMON Health Clinic back in 2007, it was fortunate to count Dr. Tom Harle among its dedicated team.

Dr. Harle (“call me Dr. Tom”) is a faith-inspired individual and dentist who believes in providing a helping hand whenever the opportunity presents itself, although his humility and good nature makes him uncomfortable being portrayed as an angel. Dr. Tom founded The Mission’s free dental clinic after years of volunteering abroad with Health Teams International (Canada) in such places as Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. “I was telling one my patients about our work and he said, ‘You know Tom, we have a lot of people in need here in Ottawa’ and I thought, yikes, that’s very convincing. If I can travel half way around the world to provide volunteer dental services, surely I can do that for the disadvantaged right here at home.”

Dr. Tom approached The DYMON Clinic’s founder Diane Morrison with an idea. “Tom,” Diane said, “how did you know we had just decided to open up a primary health clinic, and we’d set aside a room for a dental office?” A guiding angel, perhaps? He assembled a team to offer emergency, preventative, and restorative dental care. “As a prosthodontist in the city, I have a built-in network of referrals, and I could tap into that to encourage volunteers,” Dr. Tom says. “We started with 9, and it has grown ever since.” Dr. Tom now leads a team of over 100 volunteer dentists, denturists and hygienists, who treated 471 patients over the past year.

“I once asked a patient about why she came to us. ‘The hands of kindness’ was how she referred to the clinic,” Dr. Tom fondly recalls.

Please consider extending your kindness to help The Mission’s dental clinic. Your generosity can help bring healthy smiles to its patients.

Nives has worked at The Mission for three years, the past two as Coordinator for the Hope and Day Programs. “The Hope Program is a residential treatment program focused on harm reduction, and the Day Program is a psychoeducational and support group offered to men impacted by addictions and trauma.” Nives spend most of her time providing individual counselling and group facilitation to shelter guests and community clients.

“I meet people where they’re at. I’m very grateful to be working through a harm reduction model. By offering a non-judgmental space for clients to explore the underlying reasons for their behaviours, we often see them gain confidence and skills to better their own lives. It’s amazing how people can grow when they feel accepted.”

Working with clients has given Nives much. “They’ve taught me that homelessness can happen to anyone. Some of the most intelligent, creative and resilient people I know have been impacted by homelessness. The shelter environment can at times appear gloomy, but it’s also filled with people who exhibit kindness, courage and hope.”

Yetty has worked as the Administrative Coordinator within The Mission’s Hospice for the past four years. She previously worked at the Health Clinic. Within the Hospice, she supports the nursing team while performing other duties like connecting with patients’ families, assists with burials and cremations, and helps patients with tasks such as money management. For chronic palliative patients, she connects them to supportive housing. “Since they are stable, they can have a better quality of life in the community.”

Patients come from all backgrounds. “There’s a fine line between who is homeless and who is not.” For Yetty, it’s an honour and a privilege to work with patients, many of whom have experienced trauma. For most, the Hospice is their last home, and providing care means gaining their trust. “Here we provide a supportive environment where no one dies alone.”

Yetty also notices changes in family’s perceptions. “Some are uncomfortable that we’re in a shelter due to the stigma concerning homelessness. When they see how we treat patients, that judgement fades away. We change people’s minds through compassion.”

Michel is a semi-retired senior who moved to Ottawa in 2019 from Quebec to be closer to his son. Prior to moving, he had no idea how difficult it would be to find affordable housing in the nation’s capital, where rents have soared by over 13% in the past two years (the highest increase in Canada). Michel’s experience is unfortunately not unique: single older males saw a significant increase in the average length of stay in Ottawa shelters from 2018-2019. With nowhere to go, he ended up at The Mission, where he spent over seven months in the shelter trying to access affordable housing. At first he tried to find a place on his own, but then accepted the help he was offered by Shayna of The Mission’s Housing Department. After seven months, he moved into an apartment managed by Ottawa Community Housing.

“My apartment is very nice. I’m grateful to The Mission and to Shayna for helping me find my own place.”