Often, supporting vulnerable neighbours, and particularly refugee claimants, is framed around what they gain. In Anjali’s experience, “I have gained so much more, truly so much more, from the opportunity..”

“It’s an investment in our country, and a better future for all of us.”

“I’m proud to be part of welcoming newcomers.”

“We are serving people who are going through the hardest thing they’ll ever go through. We’ve been able to see how much it means to people when we can love on them and give them that warm welcome.”

“These are people who have already been through so much… They’ve moved from another country, they’ve been living in shelters, they are starting from scratch.”

“I think that refugees are our most resilient teachers. They form the fabric in many ways of our society and what it means to be Canadian.”

“The folks we are serving have been totally uprooted from where they are. Any sense of normalcy we can provide, I think that’s the right thing to do.”

“ Everyone is welcoming and friendly and we’re all working together to help others.”

“ Everyone is welcoming and friendly and we’re all working together to help others.”

Matthew House Ottawa: Furniture Bank was highlighted on CTV News at 6pm, January 11, 2021.

It’s people just like you who give newcomers the comfort and support of a fresh start at Matthew House.

What might just look like a table and chairs to unsuspecting eyes can mean everything for a family in need.

“It was an amazing thing that we were given.”

“Seeing the satisfaction from the families when they received their furniture and the impact it made on their lives affected me in such a profound manner that I put my original plans aside to dedicate myself at the furniture bank.”

An update, and ways that you can help Matthew House Ottawa and the people we serve.

“We moved and everything seemed to go wrong at once. We ran out of money. We couldn’t afford to pay rent. My wife got sick. We didn’t have enough money to pay our bills… We were desperate.”

“When we moved into our apartment we had nothing. Now, we can sit on the couch together, eat meals at the kitchen table, and sleep in our beds.”

An update, and ways that you can help Matthew House Ottawa during COVID-19 crisis.

In recognition of World Refugee Day, read this moving story from one of the refugees we welcomed at Matthew House Ottawa last year.

Meet Arao, who has been a client, volunteer and staff of our furniture bank.