June 2016 - Capital City Mission

The Drop-In Update, June 2016
Summer is Here!
521 Rideau Street
Ottawa, ON, K1N 5Z5
ccm@capitalcitymission.com
Summer is full of wonderful things like vitamin D, warmth, and the ability to enjoy the
outdoors. We have begun to celebrate summer with our first BBQ of the season. The day was
filled with excitement, food, and smiles. And this is what we expect of summer. A reprieve from
harsh winter temperatures and darkness.
Personal need and the stress on our community is certainly different than in winter, but
needs are still great. The hot temperatures can be taxing on those who spend hours each day
outdoors. The heat wears us down and few people have air-conditioning or the ability to go on
a holiday by a lake or a pool. Tourists come to town and places for our friends to sit down and
rest become few.
The sink hole was an additional stress on our community. It was a tragedy for the marginalized,
many of whom walk past the Rideau Centre daily. This location is a place to visit others, it is
part of our community. Events like this cause anxiety, fear and other mental health stresses.
We also had a murder 100 yards from our drop-in, in an apartment that many of our friends
live in. This increases the anxiety attached to housing and causes people to spend more time
outdoors, away from shelter.
Please remember our community in this season.
Seasons change and needs vary, but the need for connection
and friendship persists. At Capital City Mission we are able to
encourage each other to know that each person is loved. This
summer we will have barbecues, our patio will provide shade
and The Drop-In will be air-conditioned to be a refuge. We will
cultivate a space where people can be refreshed physically and
spiritually.
Timothy
A PLACE TO FIND HELP
A PLACE TO FIND FRIENDSHIP
Chaplain’s Update
“The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair, who can stay with us in
an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not... knowing, not healing, not
curing... that is a friend, who cares.” Henri Nouwen
In the past few months, we have been able to be effective in bringing this presence to many
wonderful people transitioning into palliative care.
To chapel comes from a latin word. Before it referred to a building, its original meaning was
linked to the cloak of Saint Martin of Tours. Before his conversion, and becoming a monk,
Martin was a soldier. Tradition holds that Martin ripped his cloak, giving half of it to a beggar.
This beggar was Christ and the tent which later held the cloak was given the name capella and
the priest who oversaw the mass was the capellani. Our word chaplain then originates from
the action of sharing ones very own cloak. The idea of covering a person as you come along
side of them in a time of suffering is compelling. We cover them with our presence of empathy
and in so doing the presence of God.
My friend Mike has terminal cancer and many other extreme health issues. Doctor’s have
suggested that he has less than a year. In the late winter Mike had nine trips to emergency
within five weeks, and then spent months in the hospital, before finally finding a space in
hospice care.
A PLACE TO FIND HELP
A PLACE TO FIND FRIENDSHIP
On many occasions I had to travel to Mike’s apartment to collect his personal effects and
important identification, but the only thing that Mike never failed to bring with him to the
hospital was his one year bible. It went with him everywhere and he has managed to almost
stay current. This daily reading along with his wonderful sense of humour has helped sustain
Mike during such a challenging time. Anyone who meets Mike quickly recognizes his great
sense of humour!
In recent months we have also lost several close friends and have been blessed by walking with
them in their last days. This week our friend Chris passed away but I was so blessed to be able
to reconnect with him, because he was staying at the same hospice as Mike. Chris faced much
suffering at the end of his life but it has been such a privilege for me to get to walk alongside of
him through extreme daily challenges. I have been blessed by getting to know both Mike and
Chris better and to learn from the grace they share in their lives.
Last month we also lost two wonderful women
who brought joy to The Drop-In every time they
visited. Ruth had a wonderful smile and Keltie
loved any chance they had to play crib together
and tease each other about who was winning
or losing that day. And Pat was a truly stubborn
woman who brought a smile with each visit,
though she suffered from addiction and faced
hardships for many years. These two women will
be greatly missed in out community.
Please, pray for the families and friends of Chris,
Ruth and Pat as they mourn the loss of someone
dear to them.
Your support of the Chaplaincy Care Ministry of
Capital City Missions touches many lives. Thank
you for helping us cover others with the cloak of
God’s mercy and love.
Timothy
Mike is glad to be at hospice care in the
neighbourhood, so he can still visit
friends at the drop-in
Please Help Us Stay Connected!!
We are pleased to announce that we will be redesigning our website for a fresh look, beginning
fall 2016. A redesign of the website improves our ability to communicate the important work
of our ministry. We want you to know what is happening in our community and we want you
to be able to share newsletters and other content with your friends. Help us share our stories
about God’s work in Lowertown.
We are blessed daily by the relationships that are built here and we want to inspire others.
We want the church to receive a heart to serve the marginalized in our city and in this world.
We want to communicate through stories, prayer requests, and videos that can assist you in
sharing CCM with your community.
We are considering going paperless by changing to an online newsletter format.
We would love to hear your feedback!
Please contact us at: ccm@capitalcitymission.com
or by phone at: 613-241-2507
Please let us know if you would like to be added to our email list by emailing
with the subject line: KEEP ME CONNECTED WITH CCM. Our emailing list will allow us
to inform you about updates to our website. Allowing you to know when videos or blog posts
have been added will help us be more effective in sharing what CCM is all about.
Support Capital City Mission Today
521 Rideau Street , Ottawa, ON, K1N 5Z5
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* to make a donation by credit card, please visit us online at www.capitalcitymission.com/donate.htm