“Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life.” -Goethe Below is a piece entitled “Mufasa” by a member of...

On December 21, 2012, Kaylin, a long time member of the art group, passed away suddenly. The art group was devastated to lose a member of...

“Dragon Fly” or “Homesick”, Mixed Mediums: acrylic and ink on canvas. “A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because...

“Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow…”-Kurt Vonnegut We here at Ottawa Innercity Ministries...

Sitting in a coffee shop in Hintonburg last week with  all my attention focused on the completion of a report for an upcoming meeting, my...

Addict…criminal…abuse victim… These are just some of the labels that street youth give themselves. They are so used to people focusing on...

Every Thursday evening in the P4Y art room, 20 or so youth gather and let their creative juices flow. On a typical night, one youth is in...

Today I lost another piece of my heart.  That’s what I feel when I meet someone who just makes me want to weep. Today I met...

This past Wednesday, Ottawa experienced what I hope was the last winter storm of the year (fingers crossed!). It was windy, snowy and...

Ok…OIM didn’t actually GO to the Oscars…but the film that won ‘Best Documentary Short’ is the story of Inocente Izucar, a street-artist...

I met Ashley last summer. She had just left her parents house and was staying at a downtown shelter. Like many other youth who first come...

We came in this morning to find a note from one of the outreach teams that was out last night.  The team had come across a friend in need...

So much has transpired since Susan Brandt and Katrine Coward filled  a couple of knapsacks with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and...

Recently Moira sent me something that she knew would intrigue me.  It is a picture of a piece of pottery that was broken and then...

Have you heard the story about the little boy who shared his lunch with a homeless man?  The little boy had found the older man in a park...

Volunteering with OIM has introduced me to many new experiences, some sad, but most of them great! One defies categorization, however....

…for some of our street friends at least: from December 20 or 23 to the end of January.  It’s the longest time of the year to make your...

The aroma of turkey and all the traditional trimmings wafted from the kitchen at drop-in this week.  Nothing says ‘come, sit and enjoy’...

Molly’s worker called the office late yesterday afternoon.  Molly is one of our many individuals living in Ottawa that struggle to...

Often times when people hear that I work with the homeless, they like to engage in a conversation about whether or not our society should...