At Bruce House we don’t stop at helping clients today—we strive to help vulnerable people living with HIV establish long-term stability with the supports they need to maintain health and quality of life. That may mean food, practical supports, advocacy, or someone at their side when navigating health care and social services.
You’ve met Randy before, in a previous mailing.
Randy is a Bruce House success story, nearing a decade of stable housing in an affordable apartment. He has since adopted a rescue dog, Crosby, and tells us, “I have a focus for the first time in years… Bruce House gave me strength and hope, belief in myself, and belief that I deserved a good life.”
Like so many vulnerable people living with HIV, Randy has no family support, counting on Bruce House to be his support system. “I know [Bruce House is] always there for me, I can come to you when I need help. I’m on my own. You are my family now, you are my last hope. It’s very strengthening to know that support is there, it gives me strength and courage. It keeps me going,” explains Randy.
Randy (and Crosby!) aren’t the only ones provided with stability and support thanks to your generosity. We have 45 households in our apartment program, each benefiting from the stability of knowing they have safe and affordable place to live today and tomorrow. However we have a very long wait-list for affordable housing and are working tirelessly to obtain more units, and we continue to support many clients in our outreach program, ensuring they have housing stability.
But stability can be precarious.
Last year Randy needed surgery to drain an excess of fluid in his brain. A shunt has to be surgically installed to allow the fluid to drain. “[It] scared the shit out of me. I kept passing out in public, needing four or five ambulance trips to the ER. It was months before they figured out what was wrong with me. [REST Program Support Worker] David was right there with me, he helped me a lot, drove me to doctors’ appointments and got my medication from the pharmacy. I couldn’t have done it without him. He’s just gone over and beyond.”
Randy’s challenges weren’t limited to obtaining a diagnosis, treatment, and getting support in his recovery—prolonged illness also threatened his housing.
Unable to keep up with housework, he received a warning from his landlord following an inspection: clean up or face eviction. “Because I was sick, I couldn’t clean and the place was a mess. I was sick for a year, and I was passing out, I couldn’t function normally, let alone clean.”
Bruce House hired cleaners to deep-clean Randy’s home and ensured everything met his landlord’s approval. “I couldn’t have done it without you. It’s very difficult, but I know you’re always there for me. It keeps me going.”
Funding this work is an ongoing challenge.
Every gift makes a difference. Sustained funding from the Province of Ontario and the City of Ottawa only account for about half of the annual budget at Bruce House; for everything else we count on grants, fundraising, and generous donors like you.
This appeal letter is our last chance to raise funds this year for clients like Randy.
In the first few months of 2026 we must commit to a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Every dollar donated from this letter increases our ability to commit to helping clients like Randy every day. By donating now you will help up maintain—and perhaps increase—the level of support we deliver next year.
$20 provides a client with a food gift card. $200 can help a client through an emergency. A monthly donation allows us to budget for these essentials all year.
Thank you.
From everyone at Bruce House—Happy Holidays, and all the best for 2026!