“It has been really encouraging to see the Body of Christ step up.”

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

As ministries and charities ramp up services, many are struggling with logistical barriers to restoring their programs. On June 19, Respond Ottawa launched a new website (FrontLineOttawa.com) to highlight these ministries’ needs for churches and believers who are looking to help.

“You can sense that a lot of people want to do something,” says Jim Fergusson, a Respond Ottawa team member from Brookside Baptist Church. “They want to help, express their appreciation, and see these heroes in Ottawa equipped properly and recognized. FrontLineOttawa gives them a simple, easy way to express that.”

Respond Ottawa formed in the wake of the 2017 floods and 2018 tornadoes. Donna Boisvert, the team leader, explains that the crises identified a clear “need for a unified response by the churches in the region.” They now partner with 43 Ottawa churches.

“When COVID-19 hit, the team recognized the need to help God’s people meet critical needs of community organizations,” Boisvert explains.

“The deliveries I have done, the staff are so incredibly grateful.”

The primary need ministries have flagged is the challenge in accessing supplies of gloves, sanitizer, and other personal protective equipment (PPE). FrontLineOttawa offers three ways to help:

1. Purchase a lawn sign to thank frontline workers (proceeds go to purchase PPE for local ministries).
2. Donate money to supply locally-manufactured hand sanitizer to frontline workers.
3. Donate money to supply gloves for frontline workers.

All donors will receive a charitable tax receipt through One Way Ministries.

“We developed a list of the organizations we really want to help. We are focusing on those that help the homeless and those that don’t get much funding, the smaller organizations,” explains Stephanie Seaver, Respond Ottawa’s PPE coordinator.

“We have hand sanitizer and cloth gowns going to Operation Come Home. We have hand sanitizer and 125 cloth masks going to Ottawa Innercity Ministries and a delivery of cloth masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer to the Ottawa Mission next week.”

A member of the Ottawa Mission receives an earlier donation of PPE. Courtesy of the Ottawa Mission.

They are in contact with several other ministries, like Jericho Road, Shepherds of Good Hope, and Restoring Hope, which are still confirming the specific needs. The group also helped provide more than 800 homemade masks, 2,600 gowns, as well as surgical caps and headbands (to keep mask straps from chafing).

“It has been really encouraging to see the Body of Christ step up, making the masks and gowns, and respond [to the needs],” says Gabe McReynolds, a Respond Ottawa member from Friends for Dinner.

“We delivered a bunch of caps and masks to nursing homes,” Seaver says. “The deliveries I have done, the staff are so incredibly grateful. I thought the one nurse, although she was in a gown and facemask, I thought she was going to hug me, she was so thankful.”

“One lady had tears in her eyes.”

Respond Ottawa also created maps and a list of senior’s residences, challenging churches to “adopt a facility”. Members of The Gathering and Sequoia recently responded by blessing Carleton Lodge with 183 meals for the staff.

“One lady had tears in her eyes,” says Seaver. “It is not normal to have strangers step out and give so much. That really speaks to non-Christians, that these churches are giving and giving and giving.”

“What an amazing picture of God’s promised coming kingdom, as His children join together to bring the love of Christ to Ottawa during a pandemic,” Boisvert adds. “The response of churches has been incredible.”