A Lasting Impression: Celebrating MHO's David Botha
For over a decade, Matthew House Ottawa’s Furniture Bank and David Botha have been more or less synonymous.
“My whole life, my existence has been for Furniture Bank,” reflects David. “What was given to me to do, I have done with all my heart and I have loved it.”
As the Furniture Bank prepares with both joy and sadness for David’s departure at the end of this summer, we share this look back at his remarkable Matthew House journey.
The Beginning
A former refugee claimant, David arrived in Canada in 2006 and spent a month living at Matthew House in Fort Erie before moving out and into a place of his own. After spending several years teaching at a local college, he accepted a position with a peacekeeping organization based in Ottawa and made the move here. Unfortunately, the organization’s funding was withdrawn shortly after his move – and David found himself with time on his hands.
Luckily, Jim and Shirley McNair of Matthew House in Fort Erie had already made the connection to Ottawa’s own fledgling Matthew House.
“We were asked to welcome him,” remembers Marc Wyatt, one of Matthew House Ottawa’s co-founders. “It was a typical cold and snowy day when I drove our family minivan, which actually became the first moving van of the Furniture Bank, out to the address where David was staying… Not long after that meeting it became evident to us that God had sent David to join the mission of the Matthew House movement specifically in the capital region.”
Marc and his wife Kim invited David to share lunch with them. It was over the meal that they learned his own story of seeking justice and fleeing persecution – one that moved them tremendously. In turn, they told David about the work they were doing to build Matthew House in Ottawa.
Early Days with MHO
“David asked if he could help too,” says Marc. Before long, he was volunteering at the Refugee House, supporting others with their refugee claims and the adjustment to life in Canada.
“When David came to MHO to volunteer, we connected immediately,” explains Janice Long-Mills, MHO’s first Executive Director. “I soon realized what an asset he would be to our Refugee Services. David was a wonderful addition to our team as he had first-hand experience about being a refugee claimant.”
Jan remembers David as being calm and collected with clients… Unless he was so busy working that he forgot to eat! “I would see him start to get hangry and hand him a yogurt,” she laughs. “He would quickly return to his normal cool demeanour.”
When Marc began operating the Furniture Bank out of his own carport, “David soon was volunteering to help us pick up and deliver furniture whenever he was available. I shared with David that while we could not pay him yet if he joined us the day would come when he would be running things.”
“David’s commitment to MHO has been so consistent and rock solid. I can't even begin to count how many individuals and families have been helped by David's involvement over the last decade. I know that residents and volunteers still drop in to see him and update him on their lives. I think he has given so many a ‘home’ to come back to when they return to Ottawa or just need a friendly face.”
— Janice Long-Mills
Building Lasting Relationships – and a Solid Foundation
Sure enough, by 2013 it became clear that both Matthew House and the Furniture Bank had grown beyond the capacity of ad-hoc volunteers to manage their operations. Though David was initially hired to work full-time at the Refugee House, he soon switched over to managing the Furniture Bank.
“In the early stages, Furniture Bank didn’t have a lot of systems or procedures in place. We didn’t even have our own trucks to do pick-ups or deliveries,” David recalls. “There was a lot of stuff that needed to be developed.”
Under David’s leadership, the team of Furniture Bank volunteers continued to grow and expand its services.
“We praise God for David, giving thanks for sending him to love and serve the vulnerable of Greater Ottawa. We salute David’s leadership and skill in developing the ministry of the Furniture Bank of Ottawa into the highly respected organization it is today.”
— Marc and Kim Wyatt
“I have many fond memories of my time working side-by-side with David,” says former Furniture Bank volunteer Frank Fedyk. “Whether on the Furniture Bank’s show room floor, in the storage area or loading the delivery truck with clients’ selected furniture and household items for delivery out in the community, David is a well-organized, servant leader.”
David frequently shared dinners with Frank and his wife Susan. “David often told us he would eat anything… But he was especially fond of beef,” laughs Frank. “David would lead us in prayer asking God to enable us to be a blessing to others.”
Former Furniture Bank volunteer Rob Heijermans also recalls many happy meals shared with David. “As a single man who loves to eat, he has spent many hours in our home eating both of my wife's great cuisine and grilling boerewors on the deck!”
Rob remembers David and his late wife Donna hitting it off immediately. “He impressed us as a sincere, committed, articulate gentleman with a heart to serve others.”
As David broke bread with Matthew House volunteers, he was building lasting relationships.
A Commitment to Growth
David’s personable nature helped Matthew House Ottawa strengthen existing partnerships and develop new ones, many of which continue to this day.
“Marc had connected with Dymon storage and introduced me to some of the managers there,” explains David. “We got on really well, so I ended up taking a part-time job there on weekends. They allowed us to use one of their trucks on Mondays for free and have given us access to a couple of lockers in Kanata as well.”
“David has been one of the main drivers of Furniture Bank expansion over the years,” reflects former Furniture Bank volunteer Frank Eady. “He has managed to develop improved contacts with many of the agencies as well as maintaining support from companies such as Dymon.”
“David has made an impact on many people, including myself, with his humble spirit and his commitment to other people. He has never been interested in accolades – just in getting the most important things done in the best way possible. I don't know anyone who doesn't like him, and whenever others speak of him it is with admiration and affection. David is just a good friend.”
— Rob and Madeleine Heijermans
Matthew House Ottawa’s relationship with KRP Properties has proven particularly important over the years, with the company making the Furniture Bank’s 3,700 ft2 warehouse space available for a very minimal rental cost. In exceptional situations – like when Carleton University wanted to donate more than 200 beds from their dorms earlier this year – they’ve also been able to offer short-term space pro bono.
When asked about these connections, David remains humble. “We’ve built a community around the organization through volunteers, clients, staff… Everybody is so keyed into what the organization is about,” he says.
The Furniture Bank’s growth has been exponential since its earliest days, in large part due to David’s leadership. “David is an individual who can enlist the support and practical help of many individuals and organizations,” Frank Fedyk says appreciatively. “That makes the ministry of Mathew House’s Furniture Bank possible.”
When David first started with the Furniture Bank, furniture pick-ups were done on an ad-hoc basis by volunteers using their own vehicles and trailers. All items were stored either in Marc’s garage or space donated by Dymon. Clients could only visit the “Furniture Bank” on Wednesday or Friday, with approximately five or six families per week being served. As of 2012, the organization as a whole had just three paid employees – and the Furniture Bank itself had only one: David.
“It was evident David had plans for the organization,” says Furniture Bank volunteer Remo Zambonin. “He was committed and believed in its mission, that every person and family would see their needs provided for.”
Today, Matthew House’s Furniture Bank alone employs 12 part-time and full-time staff, including a truck crew. The crew have access to two dedicated Furniture Bank trucks, enabling pick-up and deliveries to happen every day of the week. Staff and volunteers carefully schedule the routes for those services, ensuring staff and volunteers are able to work as efficiently as possible. There is an established partnership system for client referrals, and clients visit the Furniture Bank daily. As many as 100 households are furnished each month.
In 2021, MHO’s Furniture Bank furnished 721 homes – in spite of restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, it’s on track to furnish another 900.
“David has a big heart and love for anyone in need and we are all blessed from his faithful service to God through his leadership at the Furniture Bank over the past decade plus years.”
— Frank and Susan Fedyk
Taking a Hands-On Approach
David’s dedication to the Furniture Bank means his hands have been in every aspect of its operations over the years – from making meticulous plans in the office to conducting deliveries.
He recalls a particularly moving furniture drop-off, where he was driving to a newcomer family’s home along with a Matthew House resident. The man joining him was skeptical about why anyone would volunteer for such a physically intensive job.
“I told him to wait and see,” David says. Sure enough, they arrived to see a mother and her children joyfully running out to the truck. The family helped them unload the delivery and as David and the MHO resident entered, they saw there was nothing in the home but blankets, sheets, and plates.
“It’s not just stories,” David explains emotionally. “There are children sleeping on the floor, families eating on the floor.”
The two men were moved by the excitement the kids and mom showed for the used furniture they were receiving, which included mattresses and beds. “I see now,” the resident told David sheepishly as they returned to the truck.
“Doing something for others and seeing the joy it puts in others’ lives… It’s not just the clients, it’s the volunteers too,” David explains. “I am grateful for all the volunteers who have stuck with us and with me, who have seen the struggles, embraced them, and continued to help. I think they feel the way I do about the mission we’ve undertaken. As I leave now, I’m still so connected to the mission – the goal, the purpose of Furniture Bank is part of who I am now.”
In addition to the rewards of the work, there’s been no shortage of adventure along the way.
Frank Eady recalls a pick-up in the east end of Ottawa – though not why he and David were specifically enlisted for the furniture collection. When the two arrived, they realized a bed intended to be donated was located on the upper floor and wouldn’t be maneuverable through the hallway.
“David, not wanting to be stopped by such a minor inconvenience, worked out that we could get it out onto the balcony at the back of the house and use a rope to lower it to the ground,” Frank laughs. “This was one of our more ‘interesting’ pickups and resulted in David using his frequent expression ‘oh man’ quite a few times that day.”
“Beyond his compassion for serving the needs of clients, David captures many attributes but perhaps the following speak for themselves: dedicated, committed, devoted, steadfast, resolute, faithful, dutiful, hard working.”
— Remo Zambonin
Looking to the Future
As the Furniture Bank continues to expand, David and his team have been working to find a larger and more centralized warehouse space for its operations.
“If we could increase the warehouse space, we’d be able to inspect incoming furniture more closely, clean it up, and even potentially do repairs,” says David. “You always want to give people things that are in the best condition – it’s part of upholding their dignity.”
In terms of his own next steps, David remains open to whatever adventure comes his way.
“I have no fixed plans,” he explains with a smile. “The way I looked at my time at the Furniture Bank, it wasn’t just a career opportunity… The intrinsic value far outweighed any extrinsic rewards I could have attained elsewhere.”
He sums up what he’s learned during his time at MHO with one simple phrase.
“You have to do it from the heart.”
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Celebrate David’s heartfelt commitment to the Matthew House Ottawa mission by opening more doors for people in need:
Donations: you can give online here or cheques can be mailed to 380 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa ON K2G 6A1.
Volunteer with us: We currently need volunteers to support our furniture bank and refugee services programs. Click here for more info and to apply.
Furniture Bank: If you have gently-used furniture to share complete this form or give us a call at 613-591-6681. And please spread the word among your networks as well.
Refugee Services: We welcome donations of grocery cards, groceries and frozen meals to help feed the refugees we have welcomed at the house, though we ask that you please contact Doreen in advance to make arrangements (dkatto@matthewhouseottawa.org).
Pray: for past, present and future residents and furniture bank clients
Since 2010, Matthew House Ottawa has welcomed hundreds of refugee claimants, and provided quality used furniture to 7000 families in need. Thank you for helping to make this important work possible!