BLOG

Last week, I was doing outreach downtown when I came across Ben. Ben is one of the “oldtimers” – one of several men who have been on the...

Dana Youth Outreach Worker #Addictions #MentalHealth #StreetYouth #streetyouthoutreach

Shane’s Story is an eight episode blog post where Shane tells her story in her own words.  Each week in December, on Mondays and...

Shane’s Story is an eight episode blog post where Shane tells her story in her own words.  Each week in December, on Mondays and...

People hurry by the large monument every day, most never pausing to look or even acknowledge it. One lonely man, white haired, in torn...

Sam is a street artist who I met several years ago. He created the beautiful work of art above. I asked him  to do a wood burning...

The Passion 4 Youth Fine Arts Program was fortunate enough to have Bruce Narbaitz come in and do a slam poetry workshop with the youth....

When I approach an Aboriginal person while on outreach, I suddenly become very aware of the cross embroidered on my outreach vest. The...

Last week however, one of the youth was in a crisis situation so I made the decision to call 911. Two officers arrived and assessed the...

I have known Skye for 3 years. She was one of the first street-engaged youth I met while doing outreach. I remember our first meeting...

Meet Nicky: homeless,  alcoholic, mentally ill. Nicky joined the art group last year. She told me that most of her childhood had been...

Getting up for 5:30 am isn’t very enjoyable to me but then I get thinking about our street friends in Ottawa. They have already started...

We didn’t get her name:  it wasn’t offered and it was too early to ask.  Maybe she was seventeen, but the hard life on the streets made...

Hidden Homeless: People who are temporarily crashing with friends, relatives or others because they have no where else to go. I have been...

When Laura arrived at art group, she was excited to share her good news–she got her own apartment! After a year or so of couch hopping,...

OIM has been given a booth at the Ottawa Home and Garden Show, March 20 to 23 at the Ernst and Young Centre.  Why? A friend of the...

Many street-engaged youth struggle with addictions. Below is a work of art by a P4Y artist. This artist has struggled with addiction for...

When Art, a long time friend of OIM arrived at the office one morning, his famous smile was missing. “You okay?” I asked. “You’ll never...

I noticed ‘Cal’ on several occasions at the drop in, but I never took opportunity to have a conversation with him until this week. He was...

Someone gave me a gift of money and instructed to help someone. Nothing came to mind immediately so I tucked it away- and took it out...