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I’m so proud of Tammi!  She has had a long time addiction to crack cocaine…somewhere around fifteen years I think.  Like many of the...

It was -27 degrees last night! Sweet merciful crud that’s cold! But the Wednesday night Outreach crew, appropriately bundled up, had a...

What a cold start to January!  As the temperature drops I am very thankful for my warm coat, gloves and most of all, a warm place to go...

Recently I had the privilege of participating in a One Homeless Night activity with OIM staff (go Moira!) and a group of teens from The...

This past May, Mark, a long-time member of the art group, was in a terrible accident. He was struck by a car which caused severe head...

As I looked around the room as lunch was in full-swing yesterday, I couldn’t help but feel very blessed to be surrounded by great 39...

So last week the Wednesday night group got SOAKED (during that big rainstorm) on our evening walk-around. I mean drenched. I’ve seriously...

Leo is one of the ’rounders’ at OIM (‘been around a long time) and comes weekly to catch up and connect with our people.  Life was very...

OIM hosted our annual Easter Dinner this week.  Over 40 volunteers  served 150 dinners to our street community.  As I stood back and...

One of the most amazing privileges of working with people is the opportunities we have to build relationships. Over the past years there...

As I write this, you should know that I am really, really angry!  I am angry as I witnessed and was even an unwilling participant of...

“Do you have room for one more?” It was the end of the day at our drop-in and I was getting ready to clean up the foot care station. I...

I can’t help but feel a profound sense of sadness and tragedy some nights during outreach.  But, once in a while you stumble upon an...

Well, it wasn’t exactly bright and shining.  It was more like a dull and well-worn silver key, but the glow that came off the face of our...

Some of the most down to earth and insightful exchanges I have are during outreach with OIM.  Week after week I stop with my fellow OIM...

Community: We all crave it. From adults to children, men and women, CEOs to stay-at-home moms, we all want to belong or at least find a...

“Heroin saved my life.” Not something I ever thought I would hear, let alone, believe. One of the youth in the art group said this to me...

“Excuse me m’am…do you have any bus tickets?  I have to get to an appointment this afternoon.”  I was speaking with a couple of our...

#Homelessness #homelessnessontario #homelessnessottawa #streetwork #AssetsBasedCommunityDevelopment #Addictions #ArtTherapy #Dignity...

“Rachel’s Gift is an 8 part series until December 23.  To listen to the audio backgrounder, click:  Rachel’s Gift episode 7  If you...