United We Dream

Update from Multifaith Housing Ottawa

Since 2002, MHI has created a strong foundation for its work in providing homes for some of those 12,000 men, women and children on the housing registry in Ottawa. Currently, MHI is building at LeBreton Flats. Dream LeBreton will be comprised of 601 apartments, 133 of which will be owned and operated by MHI and 30 of those will be designated for Indigenous individuals or families. MHI has a goal of $1.6 million to offset the capital cost of building the 30 units for Indigenous people. Raising funds for these units is a concrete step congregations can take to strengthen Right Relationships with All Our Relations. The proposal is that EOORC fundraise to help support these Indigenous units.

On June 1st, at the 2024 Annual General Meeting, a motion was passed.
That EOORC endorse the approval of the EOORC Executive that congregations be allowed to raise funds for the Dream LeBreton Capital Campaign with a goal of $150,000.

Please watch this video of Suzanne Le, Executive Director, MHI, highlighting the Dream LeBreton project…

We are asking congregations to create their own campaigns over the next two years to raise funds and help us meet our goal. All amounts raised, large or small, help us reach our objective.

To help raise awareness of MHI within EOORC and to encourage support for providing affordable housing, particularly for Indigenous persons, Rev. Dr. Teresa Burnett Cole has graciously created and delivered an Indigenous style worship service. This service was offered and videotaped at Glebe St. James on April 7, 2024. Rev. Teresa has given copyright permission for the prayers and hymn/songs and sermon she wrote for the service. The video can be used in part or in whole. All service materials are on the MHI website, along with additional Dream-LeBreton materials. Please see https://www.multifaithhousing.ca/united-we-dream.html

To help spark event ideas, we ask that congregations share their fundraising ideas. We will share those ideas through the EOORC newsletter – so watch for them!

We encourage all congregations to use the EOORC calendar to book their events. That way, we can avoid double-booking ourselves. Once you submit an event posting on the website, there should be a confirmation page that appears. It will be sent to our Communications Assistant for approval, and should appear on the website in a few days. If you are having trouble submitting your event, please contact Natalie Matkovsky (nmatkovsky@united-church.ca)