Angels with Backpacks

This is a parish Christmas project in which 80-100 backpacks are filled with basic necessities to help make life on winter streets a little more bearable for Ottawa's street youth.  Each year, the backpacks are given to the Downtown Youth Services Bureau (YSB) Drop-In and are distributed at their annual Christmas party.  The YSB Drop-In provides services and a safe place for youth 12-20 years of age who have complex needs and are homeless, unstably housed or living on the street.

Centre 454

Centre 454 is one of four community ministries of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, providing hospitality, counselling, crisis intervention, practical supports and social recreational activities to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.  St. Matthew's undertakes a month-long collection of items needed by the Centre.

Harmony House

Started in 1987 as a social outreach program of St. Matthew's, Harmony House is a second stage shelter, assisting women and their children move from a life of fear and abuse to one of security, confidence and independence.  Harmony House is the only second stage women's shelter in all of Eastern Ontario.  St. Matthew's continues to have two members on the Harmony House Board of Directors, provides financial support ($5,000 annually) and donates Christmas gifts for the women and children through the Jesse Tree project.  Click here to visit the Harmony House website.

Multi-Faith Housing Initiative

Started in 2002, MHI is a network of faith communities working together to provide housing to people in need without regard to their faith or religious affiliation.  The target group is individuals, couples and families who are on the edge of poverty, often minimum wage earners who have the potential to achieve greater stability and financial security if they can obtain affordable and adequate rental housing.  In addition to owning affordable rental accomodations, MHI works in cooperation with other organizations to promote affordable housing and support efforts by government, private sector and nonprofit groups to develop affordable housing projects.  St. Matthew's is an on-going member of MHI and now provides an annual financial contribution toware MHI housing initiatives.