“What Am I Supposed To Do?”
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...
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Apr 16, 2015
Navigating the Systems
Dana Youth Outreach Worker #Addictions #MentalHealth #StreetYouth #streetyouthoutreach
Dec 4, 2014
Shane’s Story, Episode 2: School
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...
Nov 27, 2014
Shane’s Story
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...
Nov 11, 2014
Remembering Homeless Veterans
People hurry by the large monument every day, most never pausing to look or even acknowledge it. One lonely man, white haired, in torn...
Aug 4, 2014
Sam’s Story
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...
Jul 17, 2014
Caution: P4Y Poetry
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....
Jun 19, 2014
Aakuluk
When I approach an Aboriginal person while on outreach, I suddenly become very aware of the cross embroidered on my outreach vest. The...
Jun 6, 2014
Choosing Compassion
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...
May 23, 2014
No compassion or care for the mentally ill at the Ottawa Hospital
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...
May 7, 2014
The Problem with Focusing on Problems
Meet Nicky: homeless, alcoholic, mentally ill. Nicky joined the art group last year. She told me that most of her childhood had been...
Apr 17, 2014
Volunteer Perspective
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...
Apr 14, 2014
Rideau Street, downtown Ottawa…
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...
Apr 4, 2014
The Hidden Homeless
Hidden Homeless: People who are temporarily crashing with friends, relatives or others because they have no where else to go. I have been...
Mar 28, 2014
Housing in Ottawa: What we don’t see…
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,...
Mar 18, 2014
Ottawa Home and Garden Show. Why?
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...
Mar 7, 2014
Outgrowing and Overcoming
Many street-engaged youth struggle with addictions. Below is a work of art by a P4Y artist. This artist has struggled with addiction for...
Feb 27, 2014
Choosing Love
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...
Feb 10, 2014
Behind the Story…
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...
Jan 27, 2014
The Small Things
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...
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