The impact of a week-long transit strike is rippling through the city, hitting the most vulnerable and making it difficult for many charities which rely on volunteers for their day-to-day operations.
At the Shepherds of Good Hope soup kitchen, there are usually 25 to 30 volunteers helping out. The transit strike, though, has cut that number in half.
"We work twice as hard because volunteers can't get in and some who did get in, drive three hours to get in," said Mary Yelle, who's been volunteering at Shepherds of Good Hope for the past 25 years.
The charity is now appealing to drivers to help shuttle volunteers to their downtown location.
"We rely heavily on volunteers. If all the volunteers left, we'd have to shut down -- so we're struggling right now," said Rob Eady of the Shepherds of Good Hope.
The Ottawa Distress Centre is also feeling the pinch during a time that's particularly important for callers dealing with the stress that comes with the holiday season.
"We're committed to being there, but it's a day-by-day struggle and we're moving heaven and Earth to make (phone) lines available for people as we have been," said Arianne Richeson.
Half the distress centre's volunteers traditionally use public transit to get to work. Since the transit strike began, 15 per cent of the organization's volunteers have had to cancel their shifts.
In addition to dwindling volunteer numbers, many charities say they've also seen a dip in donations due to the current financial crisis; making for a potentially devastating situation right before Christmas.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Joanne Schnurr
