News & Events

Scooter Repair

Art is someone who feels deeply for others, and when he heard the stories of people struggling with basic mobility, he knew he needed to do something. “I know why Our Place refers to the people it serves as ‘family’,” he says. “They deserve to have dignity, and that’s something I can help with.” Art […]

Robert’s Story

Robert is no stranger to diversity. Life has placed many obstacles in his path, and yet he battles them all with a joke on his lips, and a smile on his face. Sitting in his wheelchair in the Our Place dining room, enjoying that day’s lunch, Robert is quick with a quip: “There were times […]

The Diverters

In Victoria, the sight of a returnable bottle or a discarded paper cup being placed in the trash can ruin someone’s perfectly nice day. “No!” The person whose day is ruined will scream. “Don’t you love our planet?” Well, at Our Place, not only do we love our planet, but we also see an opportunity […]

Blanche’s Story

Special moments never used to mean anything to Blanche. Memorable days just didn’t exist for a woman whose daily drive was focused on pure survival. “When I found myself out on the streets, I lost hope,” she says. “When you lose hope, then everything else goes with it.” But this year is decidedly different. This […]

Alex’s Journey

Alex was at a loss. Another job had fallen by the wayside and he was unemployed once again. With the high cost of rent taking all his savings, Alex was accessing Our Place for meals, programs and socializing with friends. “I was getting fired a lot,” the Victoria native admits. “That was discouraging.” But the […]

Marlon’s Story

For most of his 57 years, Marlon Bowe’s life was defined by a cycle of addiction, poverty, violence and prison sentences. He’s cheated death more than once and has the scars to prove it. “I’ve been stabbed about seven times and shot twice,” he says. “I shouldn’t even be alive but here I am, still […]

outREACH Choir

As a lifelong voice coach, choir director and mother of a special needs child, Anne-Marie Brimacombe learned all about the therapeutic potential of music a long time ago. These days  she’s using that knowledge to help Our Place family members discover the healing power of song. Two years ago, Anne-Marie and her husband Peter launched […]

Carlos’s Story

As a young boy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Carlos’s first job was to wrap chicken eggs in newspaper for his mother. “I would take forever,” he admits. “Because I read all the newspapers first.” But it was in these stories that he first became fascinated with Canada. “I read stories about Greenpeace and blue berets […]

Greg’s Story

At 70 years old, Greg is a golden ray of sunshine every time he sits down at Our Place to begin his volunteer shift. Compassionate, eager and always ready to roll up his sleeves or slip on a hairnet, Greg has been helping out around Our Place for the last nine years. Volunteering is in […]