OTTAWA, Dec. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In March 2022, Operation Come Home received a $53,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The funding was used to rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19 by using FoodWorks, Operation Come Home’s social enterprise to hire and support 18 at-risk youth, providing training and building skills to secure employment.
"Operation Come Home provides our community with an important and valued service, by assisting at-risk and homeless youth to build the valuable skills they need to secure employment," said Joel Harden, MPP for Ottawa Centre. "The folks behind Operation Come Home have done incredible work providing these critical programs for young people, and I am excited to see how they will continue to build on this important work with the help from the Ontario Trillium Foundation."
Operation Come Home is an Ottawa-based charity supporting youth with lived and living experience of homelessness. Through FoodWorks, at-risk youth achieve employment that helps them transition into long-term stability. On November 26th, FoodWorks launched its winter menu. The special seasonal menu features new holiday items as well as FoodWorks specialties that are returning this year.
“Many of our youth have had challenges recovering from the pandemic,” said John Heckbert, Executive Director of Operation Come Home. “Thanks to the support of partners like the Ontario Trillium Foundation, we have been able to keep FoodWorks open, and continue to offer valuable employment and training opportunities for the youth we serve.”
All proceeds from the sale of winter items are used to support youth who are employed through FoodWorks, and who have past involvement with Operation Come Home. Active since 1971, Operation Come Home provides individualized support services to local youth who experience homelessness, or who are at-risk of homelessness. Youth visiting OCH can receive help with necessities, mental health, addictions, housing, and employment.
For more information on FoodWorks, please visit www.foodworksottawa.ca and for more information on Operation Come Home, please visit www.operationcomehome.ca
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grantmaking in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:
John Heckbert Executive Director Operation Come Home 613.230.4663
jheckbert@operationcomehome.ca
