2020 is, finally, coming to a close.
Lockdowns and social distancing have left us with a sense of detachment, of drifting with the currents, of a loose sense of time only vaguely associated with the calendar. It would be wrong, however, to think this detachment resulted in complacency. As a community we have taken immediate and concrete steps to help each other. Donations to The Ottawa Food Bank (of which Bruce House is a partner agency) have increased tremendously. Corporations such as Ikea and Rogers are making significant donations to support our friends and neighbours in need. Across the city, people are helping people.
Bruce House has done what it has always done; stepped up to the plate, looked at what our clients needed, and somehow made it happen. It was messy, sometimes chaotic, always challenging, but the job got done. From PPE supplies to increasing food supports to making deliveries, we have supported our clients through this new challenge and will continue to do so. (Learn more here.)
We are a small staff supported by a tremendous community. Despite the current economic uncertainty, you are still donating to us and to other charities. You volunteer, you advocate, and you spread the message on social media. You care.
It was caring for each other that brought us from the early days of the AIDS epidemic to where we are now: supporting people living with HIV to have healthy and empowered lives.
It is caring for each other that is supporting people hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is that caring which will take us to the finish line.
You are reading this because you, too, are part of Bruce House. Part of our community. Part of caring.
Thank you for being who you are. Thank you for helping us have the resource we need to do what we do. Thank you for making today and tomorrow better for people living with HIV in Ottawa.
Bring on 2021!