| Recipient: | Ottawa Innercity Ministries |
|---|---|
| Project: | Innercity Veterans, Family & Friends: Community Drop In & Support (IVFFCDS) |
| Province: | Ontario |
| Period: | Fiscal year 2019-2020 |
| Funding: | $36,574 |
Overview:
The Ottawa Innercity Ministries used funding from the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund to open a new drop-in and support for homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families, with the goal of offering social inclusion, community and one-on-one support to improve their quality of life.
Project Goals:
The goal of this project was to improve the quality of life of 20-30 homeless and at-risk Veterans and, by extension, their families.
Project Activities:
To achieve this goal, Ottawa Innercity Ministries:
- Held weekly activities such as serving refreshments, building relationships, and provided individualized support;
- Held monthly activities such as hosting guest speakers who spoke about topics such as mental health, addiction, and services available to them; and,
- Designated one lead staff member to train and coordinate volunteers.
Project Results:
Between January 2020 and March 2021, a total of 361 connections with homeless and at-risk Veterans (approximately 24 monthly connections) were made. Food security was provided to Veterans who were identified as needing them. Four Veterans were assisted in moving into VAC’s multi-faith housing. Additionally, all Veterans were given the opportunity to be included in a social support network. All of this worked towards the goal of improving the quality of life (in at least one area) of all participants.