Our Annual Impact Report
Over this past year, COVID-19 has impacted our shelter like no other event in our history. We continued working with our partners, including Ottawa Public Health (OPH), Ottawa Inner City Health (OICH) and the City of Ottawa to minimize the risk of infection while delivering desperately needed services.
As one example, although a prosperous community, Ottawa has deep pockets of hunger made worse by COVID-19. Our meal service was modified to supply three takeout meals daily through our garage so community members continued to be fed without entering our shelter. We launched our Mobile Mission Meals program to feed those who couldn’t reach our shelter due to disability, lack of money for transportation, or other reasons. As a result, our average daily meal count grew by an astounding 80% to 2,500 meals per day by August 2021.
In the spring, working with our partners, we offered vaccinations to those who are homeless and those who care for them. Other points of light in this past year have included the celebration of our Millionth Hour of existence since 1906, work to actualize Chef Ric’s, our new social enterprise to help even more people find careers in the culinary field, and preparations leading up to the 20th anniversary of the founding of our Hospice, a shining star in offering palliative care for vulnerable people.
While this year has been daunting, it’s shown us that Ottawa is a profoundly compassionate city. We’re humbled by your support, which is essential to delivering the programs that are needed now more than ever before.
Thank you for your kindness.
Peter Tilley
CEO, The Ottawa Mission
Shaun Baron
Chair, Board of Directors, The Ottawa Mission
727,903
meals served last year
1,244
unique individuals sheltered annually
144
clients successfully housed
15,362
primary care patient consults
39
educational and job training graduates
65
hospice patients
Stories of Hope
At The Ottawa Mission, we support clients to enhance the quality of their lives. We nourish the body, mind and spirit of those who seek our help, and enable people in crisis to heal and build hope for the future.
Here are just a few stories about our clients, staff and volunteers.
Why I volunteer with The Mission: Svjetlana
Svjetlana walked by The Mission every day on her way to work, seeing the growing demand for its services firsthand. She started volunteering on her own several years ago, and she found herself quickly drawn into the community of care developed by the staff and volunteers
Why I turned to The Mission for help: Dean
Dean is a quiet and respectful man of 61 years from Brockville. He worked to maintain his sobriety, but losing five people close to him, including his mother and brother, drove him to return to alcohol to cope with his pain.
Why I turned to The Mission for help: David
David is a thoughtful man who first came to the Mission for help after years of problematic alcohol use were made worse by difficult personal issues. “There was nowhere else to go. If it wasn’t for the Mission, I’d be dead now.”
Why I work for The Mission: Mercy
One of Chef Ric’s new employees is Mercy. Originally a nurse from Ghana, Mercy fled her home in 2019 because she was about to be forced into a marriage. Upon arriving in Canada, she had difficulty securing the support she needed to feel safe, included and valued — until she enrolled in The Mission’s culinary program.
Why I turned to The Mission for help: Shaun
Shaun is a friendly 45-year-old man who lived in and out of shelters for many years. In 2020, he moved into our new building in Overbrook that combines market-rent apartments with rent-geared-to-income units for former Mission clients.
At The Ottawa Mission, direct costs are categorized based on program outputs and have been grouped into five main categories:
– Food & Shelter
– Housing Services
– Client Services
– Addiction & Trauma Services
– Health Services
The cost of delivering these programs includes the costs of volunteer services, community engagement and a full-time chaplaincy department. These costs are allocated to programs based on estimated time spent on each one.
The Mission is funded through a combination of a per diem subsidy we receive from the City of Ottawa and donations from generous partners and members of the community.