Host/Host Family

Role: Host/Host Family, Refugee Services
Position Type: Volunteer
Compensation: Free room and board (e.g. private bedroom, food, internet, utilities)
Reports to: Program Coordinator, Refugee Services
Application Deadline: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until position is filled.
Start Date: to be confirmed

About Matthew House Ottawa

Since 2010, Matthew House Ottawa has welcomed and supported hundreds of refugee claimants, and provided quality used furniture to 7000 families in need.

About this role

The role of the Host/Host Family is to provide night and weekend support for residents living at a Matthew House Ottawa: Refugee Services location, a home for refugee claimants who would otherwise be homeless. Hosts ensure the smooth running of the household, build community, and provide a presence to deal with any urgent needs - all the while maintaining an atmosphere that supports the mission, vision and values of the organisation.

You would be asked to:

  • Live in the house full time

  • Be home and/or on call between 20:00 and 07:00 (with time off as approved). You are free to hold a job during the day, and are not expected to be awake through the night in this role.

  • Participate in and coordinate house chores (e.g. responsible for maintaining cleanliness of house, ensures garbage removal and recycling and cleaning have been taken care of on a weekly basis).

  • Ensure that the food and supplies required are available (provide house manager with shopping lists) and coordinate with volunteer cooks.

  • Participate in and build community at the house.

  • Report to and work closely alongside the program coordinator: refugee services.

You would also be asked to: 

  • Welcome and encourage evening volunteers (and other visitors).

  • Help with welcoming new residents after hours (weeknights and weekends from time to time)

  • Assist with meal preparation to ensure dinner is served (with groceries or frozen meals, from time to time).

  • Report any necessary repairs to program coordinator

You would need to have:

  • Excellent people skills

  • The ability to practice patience with a non-judgmental attitude

  • Good communication skills in English mandatory, with strong preference for ability to communicate in French and other languages as well

  • Police Records Check (Level 3 - Vulnerable sector check)

  • Demonstrated cultural sensitivity, and experience working within a culturally diverse environment.

  • Experience with conflict management, mediation, and non-violent crisis intervention preferred.

  • Passion for the mission of Matthew House Ottawa to welcome and support refugees in Ottawa

NOTE: This role description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Volunteer may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Please email your resume to volunteer@matthewhouseottawa.org , an expression of interest clearly addressing how you meet the requirements and can carry out the essential functions of this position. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Matthew House Ottawa’s name derives from our Christian roots: we are motivated by our desire to feed, clothe and shelter the strangers in our midst and to serve people who can use our help.

Vision

Matthew House Ottawa is a faith-based, transformative model of excellence caring for Ottawa’s marginalised population.

Mission

Matthew House Ottawa is a faith-based, volunteer-driven, charitable organization that helps Ottawa’s marginalised population to establish connected, safe, healthy, and dignified homes within our community. We do this by:

  • Providing shelter, food and refugee settlement assistance, including volunteer opportunities, in a family atmosphere to refugee claimants so that they may begin their journey to independence as members in Canadian society; and,

  • Distributing quality used furniture and household goods to Ottawa’s marginalised population

Values Statement

Faith Based: We live by our Christian faith and care for the stranger in response to God's call (Matthew 25:35).

Loving Service: This ministry seeks to express loving service towards each person we serve, do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

Compassionate: We are passionate, caring, and enthusiastic in support of people's needs and seek to express a ministry of loving service toward each person we serve.

Respecting Human Dignity: We believe in respecting the value and dignity of each person receiving our services and those who serve in this ministry.

Engaging Community: We believe in building relationships with individuals, groups and other organizations to create fellowship and mutual support to help those in need.

Building Community: We believe in helping our clients to integrate into their new community to build a happy, healthy home, live in personal safety, and achieve their potential within our society.

Accountable: We are accountable to our clients, volunteers, and community partners and treat all who come in contact with this ministry with integrity, fairness, consistency, and honesty.

Environmentally Conscious: We encourage waste reduction, reuse, and recycling through our programs to promote healthy environments.