Ricardo immigrated to Canada from Brazil with his young family, working hard to establish their life in Ottawa. But, less than 8 years after moving here, he was on his own and staying in our shelter.
To help establish a life in Canada and support his family, Ricardo had poured everything into his job while also renovating and running his home’s basement unit as a short-term rental.
To escape from the stress of his busy life, plus the issues that had developed in his marriage, Ricardo would drink.
But things unraveled quickly for Ricardo: he was charged with Impaired Driving, lost his job, went through a divorce, and eventually, was unable to even see his kids.
Ricardo found his way to The Mission and, finally understanding that he had issues with alcohol, completed our Hope and Stabilization addiction and trauma treatment programs.
One day, Frontline and trauma staff noticed Ricardo studying on his bunk bed and asked him a question that changed the direction of his life: “Do you know we have a teacher here?”
Ricardo met our staff teacher Kathy at our MCA Ottawa Stepping-Stones Learning Centre, where she recognized his drive and determination to restore his life. Together, they laid out a plan to enroll him in Algonquin College’s 2-year Electrical Engineering Technician program, with The Mission sponsoring him to help cover the costs.
Our Housing team also helped Ricardo find an affordable apartment of his own, and two hard-working years later, he walked across a stage in a graduation gown to accept his college diploma.