“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16

As we approach Christmastime, I reflect on the astonishing resiliency of our Ottawa Mission family and our community as a whole.

Our shelter and our community have lived through a pandemic since March 2020. In January 2022, we incurred the Omicron variant, forcing another shutdown of our community and more stringent measures at our shelter to minimize the risk of infection. But as the year progressed, we saw signs of hope. 

Despite COVID-19, we continued to shelter those who had nowhere else to go. Our community meal and food truck programs served more people who would otherwise go hungry. Our DYMON Health Clinic offered vaccines and other services to keep people healthy. Our dental clinic allowed people who could not eat properly to enjoy their food, and to smile. Our Diane Morrison Hospice provided comfort and solace to those during the most difficult time of their lives. 

Our Addiction and Trauma Services supported clients on their journey to wellness and recovery. Our Food Services Training Program graduated more students to better futures. Our employment support enabled other clients to re-enter the workforce. Our education support allowed others to graduate from college. 

Our housing support realized a basic human right for so many in our community: their own homes. And our chaplaincy services confirmed to so many of our clients who feel isolated that they are not alone.

But none of this would be possible without your steadfast support.

On behalf of those who rely upon us, our very best wishes for a peaceful Christmas,

A successful journalist in his home country, Jean Baptiste had to flee due to political upheaval. Tragically, he could not take his wife and small children with him. Determined to build a new life and reunite his family, Jean Baptiste came to stay at The Mission. 

At first he was afraid of what he might encounter at a shelter, but what he found was a welcoming environment. The warm place to stay and nutritious food were just the beginning. 

Because French is his first language, Jean Baptiste wanted an opportunity to strengthen his English, and soon he found a true ally in Kathy Cillis, our teacher at MCAO Stepping Stones Learning Centre. Kathy referred Jean to English As a Second Language (ESL) classes at St. Patrick’s Adult High School, and she continues to tutor him on a regular basis. 

They made so much progress that Jean Baptiste entered a poetry contest — in English — and was one of the winners selected for publication.

Jean Baptiste has faced some incredible obstacles in his young life, but he refuses to give up. He’s now volunteering as a cameraman at a media outlet to gain Canadian work experience. 

Your support ensures that Jean Baptiste — and others like him — have the chance of a brighter future. Thank you!

Paul was an everyday Ottawa Valley blue collar guy. He grew up in Carleton Place with a love of music and motorbikes. While Paul was a cheerful sort, his life was far from easy. His father died when he was six, and at age 12 he began working on a neighbour’s farm.

It was at this early age that Paul began to drink, and soon Paul’s habit became an addiction. Despite his drinking, Paul had a good career as a glazier mechanic in the construction industry. 

At around age 40, Paul managed to give up drinking on his own — and he stayed sober for 15 years.

But, in his fifties, Paul had to have surgery on his hip, and at the same time, he lost his job. The physical and psychological pain triggered an alcohol relapse that found him drinking even more than before.

It didn’t take Paul long to lose everything. His career, his partner Elaine, his family.  Ultimately he was left with pretty much nothing at the age of 55. It was at that point Paul turned to The Ottawa Mission for a hot meal and a warm bed. And as often happens here at The Mission, this led to a conversation with a staff member who helped him get his life back on track.

Paul entered The Mission’s Addiction and Trauma Services live-in treatment program, where he got sober and more importantly, learned how to stay sober. The next step was a move to second-stage housing where he continued to work toward maintaining his sobriety and independence.

But then, things fell apart a second time. After feeling abdominal pain, Paul went to see a doctor, and was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer with only a few months left to live.

Paul faced his mortality with grace. When he learned his fate, he reached out to The Mission again, asking for a bed at the Hospice. He was in luck. A bed was available, and he moved right in.

When Paul passed away, he left behind many of his newfound Mission friends. But, his connection with The Mission didn’t end there.

Before he died, an aunt had left him a sum of money in her will. In his own will, Paul left a third of his estate to his partner, a third to his brother, and a third to The Mission. He said it was his way to ‘pay it back and pay it forward’. 

Today, Paul’s gift is funding The Mission’s addiction and trauma treatment programs. Your support of Paul during his time of need has now come full-circle, and Paul’s memory lives on in every life his gift touches at The Mission. Thank you Paul. 

Arnold is a quiet and respectful Indigenous man originally from Sudbury. An intergenerational survivor of residential schools, his story starts in trauma and pain, but ends in hope and love.

After living in Toronto as a young man, Arnold moved to Ottawa, but the legacy of trauma followed him here. Increasingly dependent on alcohol, he became suicidal. Enrolling in an alcohol treatment centre, after a number of relapses, he now employs a harm reduction approach to vastly reduce his alcohol intake without incurring the debilitation of intoxication.

Fortunately, Arnold’s sister told him about the Food Services Training Program (FSTP), and that changed his life. “This program gave me motivation to succeed,” he says.  

Despite the challenges, he preserved, and did his FSTP placement at Larga Baffin, a boarding home for residents of Nunavut needing specialized medical care not available at home. (Ottawa has the highest percentage of Inuit people outside Nunavut, many of whom travel here for medical care.)

Arnold now works at Larga Baffin and loves it, often arriving a half-hour early to focus on his work. 

Your support makes transformations like these possible. Thank you!

Fatoumata is a hard working international student who started volunteering at The Mission after losing her job due to the pandemic. Looking for something meaningful to do, she learned about The Mission and was struck by the breadth of our services to those who need help.

She soon began volunteering by working in the kitchen, and then moved to serving in the community meal line on the weekends.

Her kindness and dedication to others has now come full circle. When she found a new job at Immigration and Citizenship Canada, the person who hired her said that one of the reasons she was chosen was because of her volunteer work at The Mission.

Even though she is now working full-time, Fatoumata hasn’t stopped her volunteer work with us. On the weekends, she continues to volunteer in the community meal line, serving those who need our help in the community. “I enjoy making people’s lives better through this program: I really feel useful.”

Thank you so much Fatoumata, for helping those who would otherwise go hungry. Your support means a lot to them, and to us.

One of the best ways to make a difference this holiday season is by giving a gift to support our Christmas meal! There’s still time to give to make an impact this Christmas. Please give generously today.