When Helping Brings Hope

Bhavesh has been volunteering at The Ottawa Mission every week for the past two years. He recently graduated from the University of Ottawa with a degree in Criminology and hopes to become a police officer. Like many people new to The Mission, when he first arrived Bhavesh had certain preconceived notions about people who are homeless and living in shelters, and he readily admits that his time here has been a real eye-opener.

Bhavesh has volunteered in the clothing room and the computer lab. In both cases, he has witnessed the overwhelming desire of the people he has met to change their lives for the better. In the clothing room, he has seen men looking for a jacket and maybe even a tie – something that might help them when they go out on job interviews. In the computer lab, Bhavesh has been able to work with people to find on-line resources that will help them find a place to live, or show them how to build a quality resume.

Throughout it all, Bhavesh has enjoyed dealing with people one-on-one and getting to know them for who they really are. “Whatever I can do to help is more than repaid by the respect and gratitude that I get back from people who are making a real effort to get their lives back on track.”

We are grateful to Bhavesh, and to all of our volunteers, for bringing hope to those who need it most.