When one door closes...

We’re coming to the end of another long year and I just have to say, we really couldn’t do it without you.

As you may know, the individuals and families we support know this feeling of exhaustion and uncertainty too well. But that all changes with the help of our community coming together with the same hope—that we all feel at home and remain hopeful, no matter our life circumstances. 

Imagine how you feel when you walk through the door to your home. Your relief and immediate comfort of belonging. That’s Matthew House Ottawa. And we have two metaphorical doors: one for refugees who are making a fresh start in Ottawa and one for families who are leaving homelessness and need furnishings to settle into long-term, secure housing. 

As you can imagine with borders reopening, we’ll be needing to keep our doors open and we need your help to not only make that possible, but more importantly, successful for the people who enter our doors.

Everyone who comes to our doors has a story. Let’s take a walk through those doors together. I’ll share Louis’ story as an example:

One door is our residential refugee home in a family atmosphere.

Like many refugees who arrive in Ottawa, Louis first found himself at a men’s shelter downtown. While he was grateful for a bed and a roof over his head, emergency shelters do not specialize in refugees.

That’s why when he arrived at Matthew House Ottawa, he was surprised to find a safe place to sleep, eat, receive support services and begin his journey to independence. 

While in our home, our residents live with dignity, build relationships and access practical help for everything from their government paperwork and permits to learning the Ottawa transit system. Because of our program—and together with caring Canadians like you—our residents have a safe and happy place to call home where they can relax in the garden, make a snack anytime, watch television and have a meal together. Just like every other family.

When Louis saw the heart and ability of people working at Matthew House to help people regardless of their individual circumstances, it reminded him of home.  His father ran a non-profit organization that helped children affected by the genocide in Rwanda.

Now living in Canada, he was the one who needed help. That’s when he began volunteering at the furniture bank. To help more people like himself.

So now we enter our second door: our Furniture Bank, stocked by the generous and gently used donations from our neighbours, to help people transitioning to permanent housing make their new space feel like home. 

It is heartbreaking, but not uncommon, for many families to be sleeping and eating on the floors until they get what they need from the Furniture Bank. Like Louis, many residents from our house volunteer at the Furniture Bank to gain work experience and connections, and when they are ready to move into their own home, they can furnish it with pride. 

When he moved out of the house and into an apartment of his own, it was the Furniture Bank that provided some missing pieces to complete his home. But that’s not the end of our story with Louis. 

Like with many residents, we remain connected and we keep supporting their journey so long as we can. So while Louis was waiting for his work permit, he continued volunteering.It was this time last year when Louis officially joined the small but mighty team at the Furniture Bank on the trucking crew as an employee.

You may be thinking ”this story sounds too good to be true”. Yes, it does. But it’s true because of the care and compassion of our community of supporters.

That’s why we need your continued support. With the borders reopening, we need to ensure that the refugees coming into Canada receive the same opportunities that come with coming through the doors of Matthew House Ottawa.
Will you help fuel this cycle of compassion with a donation this holiday season?

Your donation of $35, $67, $250 or any amount is what makes the journey with Matthew House Ottawa so successful. Louis’ is just one example.

Many of our employees have lived experience as refugees, and now, when we hire new positions as we open a third home and receive increased amounts of furniture requests at the furniture bank, we are often able to hire our former residents and clients, giving them long-term, steady employment.

Thank you in advance for your powerful gift. 

Wishing everyone who has been a special part of Matthew House Ottawa a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season.

Allan

Allan Reesor-McDowell
Executive Director 
Matthew House Ottawa

Your support reminds people that while they are rebuilding their lives—whether from homelessness, abuse, poverty, or as a refugee - they are not forgotten. Thank you for being such a critical influence on their journeys through your generosity and commitment to give back. Please make a donation today.