Good Neighbours Ottawa

Volunteers in blue vests bring food and clothing to the street

Bruce McConville

Good Neighbours Ottawa are a compassionate team of resident volunteers intent on providing care for those who are consigned to living an inhuman existence on our downtown streets. We save lives and bring hope to our most vulnerable persons (MVPs), many who suffer with health, mental, and addiction disease. Every Tuesday night, our team enthusiastically accomplishes Ottawa’s largest frontline outreach, bringing food, friendship, and clothing to street dwellers and resuscitating opioid overdose victims. Throughout the week, GNO volunteers work hard in forming focussed partnerships to enable specialized, supportive housing for Ottawa’s MVP community. We courageously fill voids, where government inertia and public disdain exist, by taking direct action, providing a bright example of civic leadership in this essential pursuit for social justice and human dignity for all.

The Good Neighbours initiative began as a collaborative effort of the Vanier Community Association and many local organizations with the help of Ottawa City Councillor Stéphanie Plante, MPP Lucille Collard and MP Mona Fortier. Two community advocates, Bruce McConville and Myka Delisle-Spencley, volunteered to initiate and manage this effort in July 2023.

We grew weary of always hearing that nothing significant could be done to improve street safety, so we decided to hit the roads with a few bottles of water and some granola bars, inviting other concerned citizens to join us. We knew something could be done and that it had to be done right away in view of the escalating fentanyl crisis. We learned a great deal from the initial walks and interacting with MVPs. Everything snowballed from there, and the success of Good Neighbours Ottawa derives from a growing network of hundreds of dedicated people. One of our volunteers likes to quote Margaret Mead, “Never underestimate what a group of individuals with heart can do to transform their community.”

Good Neighbours Ottawa asks for everyone’s help to fix this solvable dilemma. Make a muffin, furnish fruit, supply a sandwich, send shoes or socks, walk with us, talk with us, involve an organization, or lend your expertise…it all makes a huge difference when you get involved. There is much to accomplish in getting those living on the street into supportive housing off of the street. There’s no place like home to those without one.

We have made significant gains on the road to providing supportive housing and are in need of just one acre of land to fulfill this mission. Everything else is ready to go for us in building a tiny home community pilot project for candidates willing to receive help in collaboration with the Mission. To see how you can be of help, please phone 613-298-1984, e-mail goodneighboursottawa@gmail.com or bmcconville@outlook.com or find us on Facebook at Good Neighbours Ottawa.