Tag "Respond Ottawa"
How united Christian love put a silver lining on May’s storm clouds
“Reaching out to neighbours during a crisis doesn’t have to be complicated. Just open your eyes for the opportunities God provides, then step forward in faith.” That’s exactly what churches around the city did after the huge wind storm hit Ottawa last month. It was one of the biggest natural disasters ever to hit the area. One of the hardest-hit […]
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Is the Church prepared for the mental health crisis?
It’s not a new problem. Mental health issues have been present from the beginning of time. Recently exacerbated by the global pandemic, the problem seems to be growing significantly. Nobody is exempt, not even […]
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The Church in the storm
“This storm actually was more devastating than both the ice storm and the tornado.” Donna Boisvert leads Respond Ottawa, a rapid-response task force established by Ottawa’s churches to help in natural disasters. Her team is coordinating with Samaritan’s Purse and churches across the region to lift the city out of distress and bring God’s […]
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Crisis pregnancy centres see spike in needs
Anxiety levels increased dramatically this past year, exponentially so for women facing unplanned pregnancies. Isolated, facing job losses, and afraid of the virus, many women contemplated abortion. This is the bleak picture that saw a dramatic increase in the work for Ottawa’s crisis pregnancy centres […]
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Coming together to support Ottawa’s homeless
Respond Ottawa and The Alliance to End Homelessness have teamed up to create the Ottawa Giving Project. They hope this new collaboration will strengthen struggling support agencies and funnel donations to where they are most needed. “When we realized that homelessness has increased by over 50 percent […]
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Reflections on the year of vision
I’m thankful that I resisted the temptation to preach a sermon on “2020 Vision” back at the beginning of this year. Not that I didn’t have lots of plans for the year, but by Easter time it became clear that God had different plans for all of us, and for everyone […]
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Responding to the second pandemic
Fear. Hopelessness. Isolation. Anxiety. Mental health issues have become the silent pandemic, going viral as the lockdown, financial woes, and relational stress collide with society’s heightened fears. One quarter of Canadians […]
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Respond Ottawa launches website to support frontline charities
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 […]
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Churches prepare to do the dirty work
Ottawa churches are banding together to respond to disaster. Following the tornadoes, last fall, and the 2017 flood, local ministries have partnered to form Respond Ottawa, a rapid-response task force for both short- and long-term responses to natural disasters affecting […]
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