Such an amazing organization! Operation Come Home helps to "prevent homeless teens from becoming…read morehomeless adults". How does this work? There are all sorts of services avaliable such as education opportunities, skills partnerships, resume and interview prep, and even a closet full of clothes to help look the part and nail that job. There is food available and all sorts of other resources to help keep teens of the streets. The staff are fantastic and really give their all for the cause. There are all sorts of volunteer opportunities, and Operation Come Home is always looking for donations, not just monetary. I highly suggest to stop in and see how you can make a difference in our community. Everything helps!

Nice selection of thrift store clothing that is in good shape. I think they are selective about…read morewhat they accept. I find the quality and prices very good AND it's a registered charity; part of the Big Sisters/Brothers organization so proceeds are going to an excellent cause. They now have a small housewares section but don't have room for big items like furniture. I do make sure this place is on my list when I'm on the hunt for something. Ample free parking and close to other shopping on Merivale.

Thrive Select Thrift Store is a thrift store that sells clothing and accessories, and 100% of their…read moreprofits go to support Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ottawa. I like that the impacts of donations and purchases stay local. And organizations that help kids always have my support. The clothing at Thrive appears to be geared towards youth and so skews on the younger side, in my opinion. The racks are filled with brands like Old Navy, Garage, and Ardene. Prices are cheaper than places like Value Village. They had some new items like Funko Pops and Squishmallows, while I was there, but I guess these depend on donations, perhaps these were from a business (?) They also had some used video games and controllers. They also have (new) Big Brothers and Big Sisters merchandise. Staff are friendly. I believe that many of them are volunteers. They are located in the Emerald Plaza. Lots of free parking in the plaza.

In the past I volunteered here briefly and while there was not a lot of demand for my services, it…read morewas a great place to volunteer, keeping everyone in touch by sending out a newsletter about OCISO's involvement in the community. The services that the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization provides to immigrants are wonderful. They can get documents translated here for immigration purposes, find someone to help interpret in a hospital setting, take English classes and just find general support during this major change in the their lives! The staff at OCISO were always friendly and helpful and it felt great to be a part of this community!

There is one word that captures the remarkable work that OCISO does, day after day and year after…read moreyear: care. Care runs throughout the organization, from the volunteer right up the ladder to the highest senior manager. Unlike many other immigrant services groups, OCISO follows and CARES for new immigrants throughout their entire settlement journey, enabling newcomers to flourish as new citizens and ultimately CARE about their own communities and contribute by giving back. No wonder OCISO is an award winning organization that serves as a model right across the spectrum!

This is the permanent location for blood donation in Ottawa, they setup several mobile locations…read morethroughout the city throughout the year for convenience. I was a first time donor when I went here and I had a wonderful experience. The staff were very understanding, helpful, and happy I was there. Plus the staff kept giving me cookies and juice--yum! The whole process was nonjudgmental and completely respectful of my privacy. The visit took about an hour from start to finish: creating my profile, haemoglobin test, health questionnaire, Q&A about the donation process, giving the blood, and snack time. The actual blood giving part was pretty quick, 10-15 minutes. The nurse walked me through what she would do and ensured I was comfortable the entire time. The great thing about giving at the permanent location, rather than the mobile sites, is that the chairs are big oh-so-comfy recliners and there are televisions. I also like that I can make appointments online--Blood Services has done a great job of making donating blood simple and convenient. So, if you've thought about giving blood before, but have been hesitant for whatever reason, I highly recommend heading over to the permanent location on Carling because they will take good care of you and you will feel warm fuzzies inside. 9/30

Yay for saving lives!…read more After watching a special on CTV Morning about a teenager who had to have over 77 blood tranfsusions to cure his leukemia, I felt like I really needed to step and give blood. My Dad's been donating since I was a child, and wanted to contribute the tradition. I always seemed to have some reason not to, but after Fauve G made an appointment, I went for it. This location is just off of Carling and as Rebecca mentioned, the whole process takes about an hour. You sign in, they take a hemoglobin sample, fill out a profile, and then you're escorted into a room where you answer about 60 questions on a touch screen regarding a whole bunch of things like whether you work with monkeys (I wish!), a whole host of sexual and travel questions and of course, questions about your health history. It doesn't take long, an then you're off to these super comfortable lounge-like chairs. They staff are really wonderful and thorough and explain every step they take and ensure you're comfortable and understand what's going on. I've had blood taken a million times so I wasn't bothered by it, but if you're squeamish, there's a bunch of TVs to take your mind off it. It took me 10 minutes for them to get the amount they needed (I think it's half a litre), and then I moved on to a little area with cookies and juice. My only complaint here is that they have no gluten-free options like fruit, or gluten-free cookies or bars. I did have some orange juice and felt totally fine afterward. I encourage everyone to go in and donate! It's a really simple and short way to contribute to saving lives.

FoodWorks is a social enterprise that helps at-risk youth. It is a catering business that teaches…read moreyouth cooking skills to help them find employment in the culinary field. It is a part of Operation Come Home, whose mission is "preventing homeless youth from becoming homeless adults." I attended a work function where the lunch was catered by FoodWorks. It was a very solid brown bagged lunch, which literally came in a brown paper bag, lol. We got to select our sandwich, salad and a cookie, ahead of the event, from a set menu. On the day of the event, it was packed in a brown paper bag with our name on it. I got the roast beef sandwich, the North African chickpea salad, and the chocolate chip zucchini cookie. The roast beef sandwich came on a pretzel bun. It came with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. The bun was a bit dry and dense, but otherwise the sandwich was good. I was surprised by the spiciness of the salad. I enjoyed it, but wasn't expecting the fiery kick. It had chickpeas, carrots, red peppers and dried barberries. The cookie was tasty and looked like my own misshapen homemade cookies ;) There was a lot of leftover food at the end of the event, so we were encouraged to take some home. I grabbed a Greek quinoa salad to go. It was delicious and had quinoa, onions, bell peppers, grape tomatoes, sliced green olives and feta cheese. Not sure what the pricing is, but I love that proceeds go back into Operation Come Home to help the youth. They also have a storefront on Gladstone Ave that sells frozen meals and items like jams and spices from local businesses, including other social enterprises, and also a cafe in the Bayview Yards. (33)

Amazing food and a great cause! I especially love their…read morechocolate cookies with cherry!! Nothings beats ordering great food and supporting a great cause.

The tech and tickTock tech saved my job.... or help me secure my job that i'm currently working. My…read morecomputer wasn't booting up at all and was sitting on a blank screen. In desperation I called random places and everyone wanted 2 to 3 days to fix. They sent a tech on-site and who performed some diagnosis magic, swapped a chip in the motherboard and viola! They also got rid of excess moisture from my computer... I don't know how that happened but all working now. I made it to my interview on time and saved my bacon! I owe you because my Ontario experience is better with your super fast help! Thanks!

Yash was awesome! He fixed my printer problem quickly and efficiently and showed me how to backup…read moremy system. I would not hesitate to recommend him at all. Very pleased with the prompt and professional service. High praise and my thanks!! M. Picard

I normally only review restaurants, but I'm doing a shirt printing business today…read more We purchased shirts for an OSSC sports team, and Chris at OSP went the extra mile to deliver the shirts before our first game of the season, despite us taking too long to get our act together and ordering a little bit late. Thanks for your efforts guys! Shirts look great, and win or lose, now we will to!

I have used Ottawa shirt printing for a few orders now both for shirts for work and for a small…read moreparty. Really happy with the printing and options for shirts. There are a bunch of different brands to choose from, if you do print on Gildan it's worth it to get the "Softstyle" it's not much more expensive and everyone likes the feel of them better. Printing is really good quality, you can wash them over and over and they haven't cracked yet. I think my first order was about 1.5 years ago and the prints are still good. Chris was able to help with my artwork that I was not sure would print ok. I think I paid $25 to have the artwork fixed and changed to a format that cleaned up all the lines and he we agreed to take away a few colours to make the printing price cheaper which was a good idea. Highly recommend.

Of all the rescues I have been involved with, this one is the little engine that can…read more Due to some serious setbacks Michelle and her team of volunteers have overcome adversity and tragedy, just to start over, all because of the love and beliefs they have for animals. If you understand the no-kill shelter facility you do not expect a pretty store front pet shop environment, nor a breeders surroundings. What you see are animals that have been saved from For Profit Kill-shelters (Humane Society etc), unwanted or sick animals in need. There are a few attempts for the human eye, but it is clear that that main focus is on the pets. They take this very seriously and each animal is an individual whose needs are being met whether it's behavioural or medical. They are honest about their past, and due to extenuating circumstances have had a few set-backs; all have been met to above legal standards. The day we visited they had no idea we were coming so there was no "show" being put on. Just a lot of volunteers working hard and a bunch of happy dogs. I saw no aggression in any of them and we were made to feel welcome and was taken on a tour of the entire facility. The owner has some very good ideas to change the law of crating as she feels crating is not an ideal situation for dogs. Due to a fire they are still interior crated at night or put in the few single inside runs that have been built so far. Michelle's vision is to have all dogs in their own interior runs rather than crated at night; with doggie doors to exterior spaces. Her objectives are slowly being implemented and it is evident in her excitement and enthusiasm. This is a charity, so she receives no help from public external sources. All her time and money is put back into the facility. However. I do caution you that if you are wanting a furry friend in your home think long and hard. This is a responsibility that requires your constant love, attention, and care. If you are unable to do this, go buy a Gund.

FOUND' my babies here online and communicated with this establishment whom confirmed that they are…read moremy dogs publicly. Offered (repeatedly and provably) to reimburse 100% of any/ALL expenses in full and also provably offered to wholeheartedly VOLUNTEER for which i'm qualified and experienced. Explained wholly the QUESTIONABLE (?!) means by which they came to have my pups in the first place expecting, like ANYONE to resolve to the satisfaction of all involved parties but moreover advocating on behalf of my babies interests and needs 1st with the utmost of their interests and my own responsibilities in mind. They instead deleted their 'adoption post', attempting to actually justify that i 'no longer 'OWN' my dogs' through a series of slanderous, discriminating, misinformed and inflammatory statements posted on my social media and across that platform of my search posts, WITHOUT rebuttal, without any consideration for myself advocating on behalf of my babies interests and needs : that they be returned to their KNOWN LOVING HOME. These are not '$100.00 dogs' or 'property' to me they are FAMILY. Personally, I find this extremely unethical and certainly not in the BEST interests of all parties. Moreover, and with ABSOLUTE certainty, NOT in the best interests of my babies that certainly want to come BACK HOME. I would never surrender my dogs and i'm abhorred that they're being put through this situation. This, in my opinion, most definitely has crossed the line of ridiculous to profound. I NEED my babies home where they belong and certainly where they want to be. I cannot live a normal, productive, and happy life without them, and the biggest part of my pups will forever be missing without me. They are 3 GENERATIONS DEEP, my FAMILY. And i'll not betray the memories of their beloved ancestors, family before them. I don't know what more i can offer or, what I or anyone can do to appease this Corporation's NEEDS! 'BRICKWALLED.' I'm having to repost this as the first attempts were also removed.

It's awesome to be able to borrow any tools you need! Great resource for Ottawa.read more