Ottawa Mission marks 20 years of its Food Service Training Program
The Ottawa Mission provides more than crucial shelter to those that find themselves without a home; its Food Services Training Program is one of many services offering the ingredients needed to succeed.
On Thursday, 26 students graduated from program. For graduate Raven Spade, it's the start of a new chapter in life.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
"It's very emotional," she tells CTV News Ottawa. "Working in a kitchen is the goal."
Spade moved to Ottawa from Thunder Bay to improve her and her children's lives, learning the skills in the program to move forward.
"I arrived in a shelter and I'm basically starting from scratch," she said.
Students at Chef Ric's learn what it takes to work in a commercial kitchen, and the connections to start a new career.
"It's important because that's just the tip of the iceberg. Now they've succeeded. It's done everything they needed to do to be successful, and they've changed their lives," says Chef Ric Allen-Watson, the Ottawa Mission's Director of Food Services.
Launching in 2004, the Food Services Training Program is marking its 20th anniversary this year. According to the Mission, there have been around 350 graduates since the program began and nearly 90 per cent have found a job in the food service industry.
"One of the things about the program, we've got a lot of contacts and a lot of people willing to help you on the journey," says Nathan Adaka, who also graduated on Thursday.
"When I have this is my hand, it occurs to me I've come really far," he says, as he proudly holds up his certificate.
The program highlights how much the Mission does. It's not just basic shelter; it offers primary care, a dental clinic, hospice, and language and job training.
"And on top of that, we're still serving 3,000 meals a day and having 246 people sleep here every night. So more than a shelter, but still very much needed service," says Ottawa Mission CEO Peter Tilley.
All of it is a recipe for success for graduates like Spade, who says she's also showing her children what's possible.
"I can do it, and I did. I'm so happy and grateful."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Do this once a month and extend your life by up to 10 years. No gym required
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins.
Mackenzie Hughes 'gutted' after falling short at RBC Canadian Open
Mackenzie Hughes had the dream scenario of winning the RBC Canadian Open in his hometown within reach but then it all slipped away.
Motorcycle doing wheelies, weaving in, out of traffic caught on Highway 417
A motorcycle driver is facing charges after being caught on Highway 417 doing wheelies and weaving in and out of traffic, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says.
Oilers advance to Stanley Cup final by beating Stars in Game 6
The Edmonton Oilers rode their special teams and goaltender to victory on Sunday, beating the Dallas Stars 2-1 to win the National Hockey League's Western Conference and earn a berth in the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers.
'Rotten rock': Climate change altering the face of Canadian mountaineering
The Abbot Pass hut stood for decades in a rugged saddle between two iconic peaks, overlooking the limpid turquoise of Banff National Park's Lake Louise — a destination for alpinists from around the world until the ground melted beneath it and forced its closure.
North Korea says it will stop sending trash balloons as South Korea vows strong retaliation
South Korea said Sunday it’ll soon take retaliatory steps against North Korea over its launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border and other provocations.
'The legacy I want to leave:' Mother with Stage 4 cancer advocates for survivors
People around the world are observing National Cancer Survivor Day, an annual celebration held to honour patients who have been through the often difficult and traumatic experience of living with cancer.
Driver missing after vehicle plunges into the Riviere-des-Prairies between Montreal and Laval
Emergency response crews are on the scene Sunday morning after a vehicle plunged into the Riviere des Prairies in Montreal.