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.”

Cynthia is a Nurse Practitioner who has worked at The Mission’s health clinic since 2011, with a one year pause to obtain her PhD in Nursing. In addition to the clinic, she also provides care to vulnerable community members at other shelters, within people’s homes, and, as part of the response to COVID-19, in the assessment van where she tests patients. “Some clients can’t come to the clinic so we go to them.” Cynthia calls this approach “healthcare without walls”. “I appreciate the flexibility to meet people where they’re at and get them the care they need.” Cynthia also connects care providers and vulnerable patients through virtual care online.

It means a lot to Cynthia to earn trust and break down barriers to care for people who are homeless or insecurely housed, and help them overcome impediments to obtaining healthcare which include physical or mental illness and past negative experiences with the healthcare system. “Some people fear homelessness or people who have addictions. When you get to know them, you come to understand they’re the same as we are: human beings.”

Dylan has had a lot of pain and hardship in his young life. But he has also accomplished more than he ever dreamed possible, and credits The Mission for supporting him when he needed it most.

When he was very young, Dylan had fallen into alcohol and drugs, and spent time in jail. Although his remorse was overwhelming, with the love of his family, he achieved his high school diploma while incarcerated, and also discovered he loved working in the kitchen there. Upon release, he enrolled in and graduated from the FSTP, and then from Algonquin College’s Culinary Management Program on the Dean’s List and Honour Roll!

Dylan felt part of something special at The Mission: for the first time in his life, he didn’t feel judged. He got a job in The Mission’s kitchen in 2019, and built on this in 2020 by becoming the new FSTP Coordinator. “I really developed a passion for helping people because if someone could do that for me, I should be paying it forward.”

Laurianne has volunteered continuously at The Mission since 2006,except for two periods away. She works in the kitchen and the clothing room. During COVID-19, she worked five shifts a week. “It’s my pleasure and duty to serve clients; I feel inspired to help them. They need and deserve it.”

Laurianne’s favourite task is to serve meals. “I enjoy interacting with clients. I greet them with a smile, address Francophone clients in French, ask how they are, and try to remember their preferences. I want them to know that they matter. When you offer warmth and sincerity, even those that don’t respond initially begin, over time, to respond, to smile back and a connection is made, which is precious.”

Laurianne’s service has taught her a lot about homelessness. “You realize how precarious life can be. All it takes is for one thing to go wrong and anyone can become homeless. And many are trapped in homelessness because of the lack of affordable housing in Ottawa.”

It used to be all about protecting his family – making sure a guardian had been named and that there would be enough money to raise the children in the event of a tragedy.  They had been taught that having a current Will was essential!  But now that the children were grown and his wife had passed away, he wasn’t sure what a new Will should look like.

He had heard from others that his estate could hold a big tax bill. He didn’t have to pay taxes on the bank accounts and investments he had shared with his wife when she died but what would happen when he passed away?

His advisor affirmed that Estate Planning was important because his life situation had changed.  When they laid out his financial landscape and added up all his assets, he was surprised at the number. The values of his home, life insurance policies, RRSP’s and RRIF’s, and investment accounts added up to a few hundred thousand dollars.  They also determined that he did have a tax liability on his estate.

“Doing nothing will cost your estate plenty; doing some simple planning can benefit so many.”

If he didn’t change his Will, about 50% of the value of his RRSP and RRIF could be lost to taxes because their entire value would be treated as income in the year of his death.  The capital gains on the few stocks he owned would also cost his estate money.

As he became more and more uncomfortable with the thought of so much money being paid in taxes, his advisor carefully laid out some options:

• Naming a charity as the beneficiary of his RRSP and RRIF could offer his Estate a donation receipt that would wipe out the taxes owed.
• Donating stocks directly to charity either while he lived or through his Will would ensure the capital gains were eliminated.
• Changing the beneficiary on the small life insurance policy he had owned for so long to charity would allow him to claim the premiums as donations while he lived or would offer a donation receipt for the whole death benefit when he died.
• Leaving a percentage of his Estate to charity in his Will would provide a legacy that would reflect his life and the things that were important to him.

His planning would serve to eliminate any taxation on his estate and would still leave his children with an inheritance that would help them out while the charities he chose would also receive generous support.

Although this isn’t a real story, it is an example of many people that our partners at ADVISORS with Purpose work with every day.

ADVISORS with Purpose (AWP) is part of the family of ministries of Financial Discipleship Canada. As a Mission partner, AWP offers free and confidential estate plans for our donors, helping these donors fulfill their desire to be faithful stewards of assets that will be left behind in their estate and will. This confidential service is provided at no cost to Mission supporters; there are no obligations and the Estate Advisors will never try to sell you any product.

For more information or to set up a time to speak with an Estate Advisor, click here or contact Advisors with Purpose at plan@advisorswithpurpose.ca