OMRA
as a Fundraising Project
Seven and a half years have passed since OMRA - a volunteer-run
refugee housing program - was established in the summer of 2001.
Our first home in South Keys was purchased after a fruitless search
for a suitable 3-bedroom apartment rental for a newly arrived
single mother and her 5 young children. A $30,000.00 down-payment
for this home was raised by Ottawa Mennonite Church through donations
from a very committed congregation. In 2002, OMRA was able to
purchase two more homes through a Canadian government grant. These
three 3-bedroom units are in safe communities, subsidized through
OMRA and rented as transitional housing to newly-arrived families
who often have great difficulty finding housing that they can
afford. Last year, OMRA celebrated paying off the mortgage on
the first house. However, we still have monthly expenses consisting
of two mortgages, high maintenance costs, insurance, condominium
fees and generous subsidies to the families. We pay these costs
primarily through the grocery card program which many of you enjoy
and kindly support.
What is
the grocery card program?
This program is a fundraiser in which grocery cards from Loblaws
and Loeb are purchased monthly by coordinators from Ottawa Mennonite
Church, Emmanuel United Church, Glebe St. James United Church,
The Quakers and St. Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church. The members
of the congregation buying the cards receive the full value of
the cards, and the grocery stores give OMRA 5% of the total of
the bulk order. This grocery card program has been our main fundraising
activity and has provided approximately $20,000.00 annually to
support OMRA's activities. Quite amazing, but we still need more
participants in order to adequately help our tenants in the face
of increased energy costs, etc.
How does the grocery card program work and how can I to participate?
Slight variations exist within each of the five participating
congregations, but the general principles are as follows. An order
for grocery cards is placed at the beginning of each month. The
cards are distributed to church coordinators and then to individual
participants at the churches on the second Sunday of every month.
The cards come in denominations of $10.00, $25.00, $50.00, $100.00
and $250.00 and, as such, individuals can decide how much they
wish to purchase each month. The easiest method for both the participant
and the coordinator is for each participant to provide postdated
cheques dated for the first of each month. However, as we know
this is not always possible for everyone, that some people prefer
to buy month to month, and also that some people occasionally
like to purchase additional cards during busier months, we are
usually able to sell extras at the time of distribution. The grocery
cards can be used at Loeb, Food Basics, Loblaws, No Frills and
Independent Grocer stores throughout the city. They act as a gift
card or a debit card until the balance runs out. There is no expiry
date.
This grocery program is an essential part of OMRA. Our families
depend on it because it allows us to subsidize their rent as well
as using the proceeds to pay down the mortgages, cover repairs,
insurance and condominium fees.
We are looking forward to your continued or new participation
in this easy fundraiser . We are also very open to suggestions
for other fundraising activities. Contact Maria via the contact
page.
An
Update on OMRA's Families ...
Madeleine
and Her Family
Madeleine says she is a "blessed child." "Why does
she consider herself 'blessed?'" I ask her. Her immediate
reaction is to wave at the teenagers with her around my kitchen
table - her family here in Canada.
These teenagers are, in fact, her grandchildren, and every one
is in school, doing well. They are not all siblings, but come
from three different sets of parents. How do they manage living
in the modest house provided by OMRA? They tell me they are grateful
to be together in this home.
Where does this feeling of being blessed come from? Madeleine
says her joy comes not merely from being in a certain place, but
from an internal joy (that she so beautifully exudes). As well,
the peace in her heart, she says, means that no matter where she
is, she carries this feeling of "blessed" with her.
Above all, she is proud of her beautiful and inspiring "children".
"Who wouldn't be thankful?" she adds. Indeed, the children
have high hopes for a good career in Canada: Vanessa, the eldest,
wants to become a lawyer; Darrelle would like to work in the medical
field and is the comedian in the family; Prince says he hasn't
yet decided on a career but his "sisters" tease him
about becoming an accountant or a computer geek; Merveil and Glen
are not yet voicing their options. They have a lot of time to
consider their future. They appear happy: cajoling, bantering
and challenging each other.
The family fled from the Congo to Central Africa and then on to
Camaroon, where international immigration services provided them
with care and assisted them in immigrating to Canada. They have
now been in Canada for a year and a half. Some of the parents
of the children have been killed or died of disease while it is
unknown where others are. Madeleine does not want to remember
her experiences in the Congo.
- Janet Hollingsworth
Elizabeth
and Her Family
The following is an interview with Elizabeth and her son Charles
who is nine years old:
How long have you been in Canada? It must be four years because
Charles was five when we came and now he is nine.
How is your family doing? Good. Some of us are working, some are
studying, and some are doing both. John (Dad) is working at Loblaws;
the two older boys are going to school but also working in restaurants
three days a week. And I am still taking ESL English but hope
to work next year when Paul goes to Junior Kindergarten. Charles
is in Grade Four, and Esther in Senior Kindergarten.
Give a few of the difficulties of beginning a new life in Canada.
When we came, I couldn't understand or speak any English at all.
It's been hard for my husband to find a job. The food is different.
I miss my family whom I haven't seen in ten years. I didn't understand
the way of life in Canada.
Name a few of the good things that have helped you. School has
really helped all of us. Charles now speaks English like any other
Canadian boy, and he even takes French. This house has helped
us a lot. And the Loblaws food cards too. Playing soccer outside
in the summer helped Charles make friends. We are healthy and
that is good.
Dahabo
and Her Family
It is now seven-and-a-half years since a young Somali mother and
her 5 young children moved into our first house in South Keys.
Now, the oldest children are finishing high school and the two
youngest are working hard and receiving awards at their grade
school. We have watched these children grow. Often the older children
have helped at Ten Thousand Villages sale and potlucks at the
Ottawa Mennonite Church. The mother is a fantastic cook and many
of us have enjoyed delicious Somali meals with the family. We
have celebrated many Halloweens with them, have tutored them,
and in 2003 we went on an unforgettable three night camping trip
into Gatineau Park. This family is like our extended family with
whom we have shared life's highs and lows.
This first OMRA home has provided stability and a safe haven for
the family since 2001. Many times life was not easy for them.
Dahabo spoke no English when she arrived and has spent many years
in language school. She has taken a pre-course to become a Personal
Support Worker. It was and continues to be very difficult for
her to find employment and the jobs she has had have been part
time and minimum wage. This has been problematic because she has
had to leave her children alone to go to work. Our OMRA house
is a place of rest that she and her children can count on and
the subsidized rent is something she can afford and is very grateful
for.
We wish this family much happiness in Canada and are grateful
for the way they have touched our lives over the years. God Bless.
An
Update on OMRA's Supporters ...
St. Thomas
the Apostle
In October 2007, information on OMRA and the grocery card program
was provided at a "Parish Outreach Open House" at St.
Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church. Six parishioners signed up
immediately to purchase a total of $1400 in grocery cards each
month. By December 2008, the list of participating parishioners
had grown to 13 and the value of the cards purchased each month
to $2700.
In addition to ongoing participation in this outreach program
through monthly contributions, the purchase of Loblaws grocery
cards has been suggested as a terrific Christmas stocking stuffer
- especially for those out-of-town friends and family or for adult
children living on their own.
The grocery card program can be tailored to meet the changing
preferences of participants. For example, one parishioner who
no longer drives or shops regularly at Loblaws or an Independent
Grocer has decided to donate directly to OMRA 5% of the former
$100 monthly grocery card purchase, thus matching the amount which
Loblaws would refund to the OMRA program.
The grocery card program at St. Thomas has been quite successful
and it is hoped that it will continue to grow. - Sandra Wright
Glebe-St.James
Glebe-St. James United Church has supported Refugee Housing in
Ottawa for the past 10 years. The money we collect through the
sale of the Loeb and Loblaws grocery cards goes to OMRA to support
refugee housing in the city. Our constant aim is to have the sale
of these cards cover the $500.00 that Glebe-St. James contributes
to OMRA each month. This remains the goal of the new coordinators,
Marisa Romano and Donna Fay Mailhot, for the year 2009.
- Donna Fay Mailhot
Emmanuel
United
Emmanuel's involvement with OMRA grew out of a workshop on the
Crises on Affordable Housing that was held at Trinity United Church.
I had recently taken on the role of chair
of Emmanuel's Social Action Committee in order to rebuild what
had become a mostly defunct committee. While attending this workshop,
Irene McCullough made Matt Bonsall of Glebe-St. James and I aware
of the OMRA Shelter Corporation, which was in the process of buying
three houses to support refugees in need. Matt was so enthusiastic
in his response that he swept me into supporting the project as
well. It just seemed so natural and fit well with the outreach
character of Emmanuel United.
Emmanuel began selling Loblaws cards as the OMRA fundraiser in
May 2002 and has been at it ever since with the enthusiastic help
of several members of the congregation. There is a core group
of about 30 to 40 individuals, couples, and families who have
supported the project by buying and using grocery cards. Some
have dropped off and new ones have joined, and then some have
supported the project from the beginning.
We were ecstatic to learn that the first of the three mortgages
has been burned, and hope that it will not take long to clear
the next two.
- Janice
L. Péron
OMRA
Notes ...
The OMRA board would like to acknowledge a donation from J.H.,
a member of Ottawa Mennonite Church. J.H. donated the money she
received from the sale of her acrylic and watercolour paintings
in 2008. Her painting has been a learning and creative endeavour
which has given her much joy and satisfaction.
The OMRA board
would also like to extend an enthusiastic welcome to our new volunteer,
Doug Heintz Grove.
Doug has both a keen interest in refugee issues, and extensive
knowledge and experience in construction which will be instrumental
in helping OMRA maintain our properties to ensure our goal of
safe, clean, affordable, transitional housing.
Established
and Happy
The Ottawa Quaker Meeting (OMM) has supported OMRA since 2003.
One of the refugee families that OMM has sponsored lived in an
OMRA unit for two years. Jacqueline, a Burundian refugee who came
to Ottawa in 1997, is a model of commitment and energy in becoming
a new Canadian and settling in well. With the help of OMM she
sponsored her sister Regine and then, with additional help, they
were able to sponsor 2 nieces and 2 nephews orphaned in the Burundi
war, bringing everyone to Ottawa. All members of the family have
settled and are well into university or careers. Jacqueline is
now in process of adopting 3 nephews (Amos, Bruce & Patience)
, 1 niece (Nadege) and one grand-niece (Ornella-Tania) and hopes
to have them in Canada soon.
Jacqueline is currently working for the federal government in
Human Resources-Skills Development division, while also taking
night courses to become a paralegal. She has recently bought her
own house in Orleans. Jacqueline and her extended family feel
that they were fortunate to have the home security of the OMRA
house for the first two years which allowed them to get through
the often insecure and traumatic settling-in period.
Jacqueline's advice to new arrivals:
