Governmental partners
The capital campaign for Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building is grateful for support from two levels of government:
- The Government of Canada: The Government of Canada provided $6.5 million in loans and grants.
- The City of Ottawa: The City of Ottawa forgave more than $730,000 in development charges relief, property tax waivers, and other fees and permits.
- Joint funding by the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario: $1.5 million in funding was delivered through the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative, a federal-provincial program.
non-governmental partners
Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS): CFMWS participated in consultations regarding the design and structure of Veterans’ House, and will be instrumental in offering other avenues of support for its residents. CFMWS provides a range of morale and welfare programs to CAF members, veterans, military families, Department of National Defence and National Police Federation employees, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police personnel. Their stated mission is to “contribute directly to the Forces' philosophy of ‘People first, mission always’ through the provision of a full range of fitness, sports and recreation activities, family and charitable support, retail, and personal financial services that enable our members to focus on operational effectiveness and better tackle the unique challenges of military life.” They take pride in “serving those who serve.”
Centretown Affordable Housing Development Corporation (CAHDCO): CAHDCO shared their expertise with MHI in developing and managing the construction of Veterans’ House. CAHDCO is Ottawa’s only real estate developer and consultant dedicated to creating not-for-profit affordable social housing. Their team of development, construction and project management experts works closely with their sister organization, the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, which, like MHI, builds and maintains affordable rental housing.
Commissionaires Ottawa: Commissionaires Ottawa matched donations for two fundraising campaigns:
Centretown Affordable Housing Development Corporation (CAHDCO): CAHDCO shared their expertise with MHI in developing and managing the construction of Veterans’ House. CAHDCO is Ottawa’s only real estate developer and consultant dedicated to creating not-for-profit affordable social housing. Their team of development, construction and project management experts works closely with their sister organization, the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, which, like MHI, builds and maintains affordable rental housing.
Commissionaires Ottawa: Commissionaires Ottawa matched donations for two fundraising campaigns:
- Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building public campaign Nov. 3 - Dec. 31 2020: The Commissionaires Ottawa pledged to match all donations from the general public during this time period up to $150,000. As part of the 2020 public campaign, the Commissionaires also supported the #WeSaluteYourService Challenge for Veterans' House, where members of the general public were encouraged to honour a veteran on social media and/or donate in their honour. The public campaign was wildly successful, with more than $185,000 donated by the general public. (Including the Commissionaires Ottawa match, the total raised through this campaign reached $370,000.)
- United We Stand: the Eastern Ontario Outaouais Council Campaign for Veterans' House (United Church of Canada): Commissionaires Ottawa matched the $115,000 raised by United Churches in the Eastern Ontario Outaouais Region. Learn more here.
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Correctional Service of Canada (CORCAN): CORCAN is a key rehabilitation program of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) that contributes to safe communities by providing offenders with employment and employability skills training while incarcerated in federal penitentiaries, and while under community supervision. Through the CSC offender employment program, CORCAN was able to donate a large variety of products and associated services to deliver and install these onsite, to help set up Veterans' House for its opening in early 2021. CORCAN sites in various parts of the country helped to produce the beds, tables, chairs, and bed linens for the 40 living suites. In addition to unit furnishings, CORCAN also provided chairs, desks, tables, filing cabinets and other furniture products to help set up the offices and group gathering locations of the facility. CORCAN attended the site on a few occasions to deliver and install the products at the site, as well as assist in unpacking and setting up welcome kits for the new tenants. These welcome kits included bath linens made by CORCAN, in addition to maple syrup and honey from the penitentiary farm program. Many sites and areas of CORCAN, including staff and program participants, were proud to be able to collaborate in contributing to this fantastic community initiative to support veterans.
Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) Canada: The MHI-Helmets to Hardhats Canada partnership was formed to encourage the construction groups involved in creating Veterans’ House to register with H2H Canada, ensuring veterans have a hand in its construction. H2H Canada is a national charity that works to help CAF successfully transition to civilian life by connecting them to apprenticeships and jobs in skilled trades in the building and construction industry. Employers in turn benefit by hiring dedicated employees with valuable experience.
Ottawa Salus: Ottawa Salus arranges for onsite counselling and support services to residents of Veterans’ House. Ottawa Salus (salus means “health and wellness” in Latin) was formed in the 1970s out of a concern that too many vulnerable adults with mental illnesses were being discharged from hospitals without adequate supports. Since then, they have tried to fill that gap by providing rehabilitation programs and supportive housing. Today, they are an organization with 100 staff, nine apartment buildings, a single-family home and two shared living homes.
Root in Nature: Root in Nature works with Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building to provide a year-round horticultural therapy program to its residents. Root in Nature is a social enterprise that brings the healing power of nature and plants to the community through horticultural therapy, nature-based programs and employee well-being. Horticultural Therapy is a therapeutic medium that was formalized with veterans after World War II. It aims to enhance or rehabilitate physical well-being, cognition and perception, emotional well-being and social skills. The residents grow a garden from "seed to harvest," which includes seed planting starting indoors, transplanting, maintaining gardens and tending to plants. In the winter months they take part in nature-related and sensory activities.
Soldiers Helping Soldiers: Soldiers Helping Soldiers helped MHI develop a process to identify the homeless veterans who would benefit from Veterans’ House, and they also provide ongoing peer mentoring and support. Soldiers Helping Soldiers is made up of serving and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence employees who work to identify and help homeless veterans. As their name suggests, their guiding premise is that veterans in need are more inclined to self-identify to serving members or veterans. Soldiers Helping Soldiers then links the veterans to available services and benefits provided by local support agencies.
Support our Troops: Support our Troops has raised funds for Veterans’ House and has provided input into its design and structure. The official charitable cause of the CAF, Support our Troops is a national charity that raises funds to provide support to veterans, serving members, and their families. Their assistance comes in the form of grants and loans to provide financial relief, support for families with special needs children, the “Soldier On” program (which helps veterans/members recover from illness or injury through an active lifestyle), national youth camps, and more.
The Canadian Veteran Service Dog Unit (CVSDU): Thanks to the input of CVSDU, the needs of service dog owners have been incorporated into the building and landscaping of Veterans’ House. MHI will also be working with them after COVID-19 dies down to help tenants in need acquire, and live successfully with, a service dog. CVSDU is a charity that provides trained service dogs and related support to military and first responder veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and operational stress injury. CVSDU dogs are trained to respond to their owner’s signs of anxiety, wake them from nightmares, and interrupt disturbing flashbacks.
The Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) Ontario Command and District G: RCL Ontario Command and its District G are key Veterans’ House donors, providing ongoing funding for the mental health services that are being delivered to residents by Ottawa Salus. In addition, they helped MHI develop a process to identify the homeless veterans who would benefit from Veterans’ House, which includes helping to confirm military service. The largest service-oriented organization in Ontario, the Legion’s Ontario Command (which is made up of 9 districts) aims to honour those who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms and look after the needs of veterans and their dependants, as well as those still serving in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). One of their many initiatives is the Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund, which has provided over $1.5 million in assistance to over 500 veterans province-wide. Learn more about the Legion at www.on.legion.ca and www.districtglegion.ca.
True Patriot Love Foundation (TPL): One of TPL’s main fundraising events is an annual gala for veterans’ charities. Veterans’ House was fortunate to be one of the featured charities at their 11th Annual Tribute Gala. TPL is a national charity supporting more than 100 organizations throughout the country (including Support our Troops, mentioned above), which offer mental health programs, summer camps for children, business “boot camps,” wilderness activities, home modifications for injured CAF members, and more.
Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) Canada: The MHI-Helmets to Hardhats Canada partnership was formed to encourage the construction groups involved in creating Veterans’ House to register with H2H Canada, ensuring veterans have a hand in its construction. H2H Canada is a national charity that works to help CAF successfully transition to civilian life by connecting them to apprenticeships and jobs in skilled trades in the building and construction industry. Employers in turn benefit by hiring dedicated employees with valuable experience.
Ottawa Salus: Ottawa Salus arranges for onsite counselling and support services to residents of Veterans’ House. Ottawa Salus (salus means “health and wellness” in Latin) was formed in the 1970s out of a concern that too many vulnerable adults with mental illnesses were being discharged from hospitals without adequate supports. Since then, they have tried to fill that gap by providing rehabilitation programs and supportive housing. Today, they are an organization with 100 staff, nine apartment buildings, a single-family home and two shared living homes.
Root in Nature: Root in Nature works with Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building to provide a year-round horticultural therapy program to its residents. Root in Nature is a social enterprise that brings the healing power of nature and plants to the community through horticultural therapy, nature-based programs and employee well-being. Horticultural Therapy is a therapeutic medium that was formalized with veterans after World War II. It aims to enhance or rehabilitate physical well-being, cognition and perception, emotional well-being and social skills. The residents grow a garden from "seed to harvest," which includes seed planting starting indoors, transplanting, maintaining gardens and tending to plants. In the winter months they take part in nature-related and sensory activities.
Soldiers Helping Soldiers: Soldiers Helping Soldiers helped MHI develop a process to identify the homeless veterans who would benefit from Veterans’ House, and they also provide ongoing peer mentoring and support. Soldiers Helping Soldiers is made up of serving and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence employees who work to identify and help homeless veterans. As their name suggests, their guiding premise is that veterans in need are more inclined to self-identify to serving members or veterans. Soldiers Helping Soldiers then links the veterans to available services and benefits provided by local support agencies.
Support our Troops: Support our Troops has raised funds for Veterans’ House and has provided input into its design and structure. The official charitable cause of the CAF, Support our Troops is a national charity that raises funds to provide support to veterans, serving members, and their families. Their assistance comes in the form of grants and loans to provide financial relief, support for families with special needs children, the “Soldier On” program (which helps veterans/members recover from illness or injury through an active lifestyle), national youth camps, and more.
The Canadian Veteran Service Dog Unit (CVSDU): Thanks to the input of CVSDU, the needs of service dog owners have been incorporated into the building and landscaping of Veterans’ House. MHI will also be working with them after COVID-19 dies down to help tenants in need acquire, and live successfully with, a service dog. CVSDU is a charity that provides trained service dogs and related support to military and first responder veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and operational stress injury. CVSDU dogs are trained to respond to their owner’s signs of anxiety, wake them from nightmares, and interrupt disturbing flashbacks.
The Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) Ontario Command and District G: RCL Ontario Command and its District G are key Veterans’ House donors, providing ongoing funding for the mental health services that are being delivered to residents by Ottawa Salus. In addition, they helped MHI develop a process to identify the homeless veterans who would benefit from Veterans’ House, which includes helping to confirm military service. The largest service-oriented organization in Ontario, the Legion’s Ontario Command (which is made up of 9 districts) aims to honour those who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms and look after the needs of veterans and their dependants, as well as those still serving in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). One of their many initiatives is the Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund, which has provided over $1.5 million in assistance to over 500 veterans province-wide. Learn more about the Legion at www.on.legion.ca and www.districtglegion.ca.
True Patriot Love Foundation (TPL): One of TPL’s main fundraising events is an annual gala for veterans’ charities. Veterans’ House was fortunate to be one of the featured charities at their 11th Annual Tribute Gala. TPL is a national charity supporting more than 100 organizations throughout the country (including Support our Troops, mentioned above), which offer mental health programs, summer camps for children, business “boot camps,” wilderness activities, home modifications for injured CAF members, and more.
