Back Door Mission for the Relief of Poverty
66 Simcoe Street South L1H 4G3 Oshawa, ON, Canada

Constable Darryl Rice from Durham Regional Police Service, in partnership with Dominoes Pizza, Taunton Gardens, North Whitby provided 30 large pizzas that helped us serve meals to over 200 patrons last Tuesday. Thank you Constable Rice of Durham Regional Police Service and Dominoes Pizza. Thank you for continuing to Walk With Us! Durham Regional Police Service

We thank Peacock Lumber for their generous donation of all of the materials for our new outside service stations. These will be a great help in providing daily lunches to our patrons in the cold weeks and months ahead. Thank you Peacock Lumber for your support. Thank you for Walking With Us! Peacock Lumber

We thank everyone at Royal Lepage Frank Real Estate for their donation of hand warmers, foot warmers and socks. Thank you Frank Real Estate for Walking With Us! Royal LePage Frank Real Estate

Here is what we currently need to re-stock our Pantry: * Cereal (high sugar content) 400 gram boxes * Peanut butter 400 gram jars * Applesauce cups... * 1 litre tetra pk juices - all flavours * Cans of regular coffee - no decaf please ** ITEMS NOT NEEDED: Kraft Dinner, Brown Beans, Dry Pasta, feminine hygiene products ** Donations can be dropped into the big cart just inside the exit of Liz's No Frills (Simcoe/Beatrice, Oshawa) or can be dropped off at the 'Mission any day, from 10:00am - 3:00pm. We provide a safe drop off, where our volunteers come out to your vehicle to get your donated products. To donate a cash equivalent, please click on this link: https://tinyurl.com/y5s3eelj We are so grateful for all donations. Thank you. Back Door Mission 66 Simcoe Street South, Oshawa (On Bagot Street, behind Simcoe Street United Church) #backdoormission #missionunited #givingback #oshawastrong

Thank you to Trisha of Eat My Shortbread for the donation of another large bag of her wonderful baked goods - which always create 'yummy' sounds and smiles from Patrons and Volunteers here at the 'Mission.

We are in desperate need of the following Winter items. * Winter Boots: Women’s 7-10, Men’s 8-13 * Warm Coats: Men’s, women’s all sizes * Weatherproof Gloves for men and women, sizes M and L... * Sleeping Bags yes, we ALWAYS need more of these! Note: we currently cannot accept Spring/Summer clothing. Your donation can be dropped off at the 'Mission Mon-Fri, from 10:00am - 3:00pm. For your safety, we will come out to your vehicle to get your donated products. To donate a cash equivalent, please click on this link: https://tinyurl.com/y5s3eelj We are so grateful for all donations. Thank you. Back Door Mission 66 Simcoe Street South, Oshawa (On Bagot Street, behind Simcoe Street United Church) #backdoormission #missionunited #givingback #oshawastrong

Thank you to Evhan and Baby's Basement Baby's Basement is at 7-13 King Street West, Oshawa.

Shout-out to Stuttering John's Smokehouse - thank you sooo much!

Thank you to Evhan and Baby's Basement (@babysbasement)! Baby's Basement is at 7-13 King Street West, Oshawa.

If you or anyone you hear from encounters a vulnerable individual in some sort of need in Oshawa's downtown area and you are uncertain what to do or how best to... address their particular set of needs, please send them to the team at Mission United, operating at the Back Door Mission for the Relief of Poverty at 66 Simcoe Street South, the corner of Bagot Street. It saves you from having to try to become an expert on available services in the area. Seven days a week from 9am to 5pm, there is at very minimum a staff coordinator on site who can help start with basic service navigation. And once that individual is plugged into that first line of service, here is a list of services that exist right on site M-F that they can literally walk them down a hall to receive in a low-barrier, inclusive environment: - mental health workers - medical clinic staffed with mental-health- and addictions-informed nurses and doctors - counsellors - addictions counselling - housing support - assistance getting OW and ODSP - peer support workers - addiction and withdrawal management - harm reduction supplies - hepatitis C screening and services - video conferencing with other health specialists - food - clothing - showers - and more that I'm probably missing here ...and, in situations where a particular service isn't on site, the team there is knowledgeable about and will not hesitate to support the individual in accessing those other services. Our people aren't in the territoriality game - if a person needs a service provided by another agency, they help link with that too. We've spent most of 2020 in response to this crisis and getting this significant undertaking up and running, that I sometimes forget to get the information out there. During peak hours at Mission United, there are over 40 people working in and outside the facility doing the amazing work they do, week in and week out, so please never hesitate to send a person in need there. They will do everything they can to help. We've created this centralized service facility for two simple reasons: it makes it easy for members of the public to know where to send someone when you're unsure, and more importantly it makes service navigation so much easier for the marginalized population. The model has been an outstanding success - the medical clinic alone is seeing 25-30 clients A DAY during the week, to give an idea of usage, not to mention the 200 hot healthy meals that go out the door daily. I wouldn't have room to list all the other stats here but if you look at the list of services provided above, it will give you an idea. The energy in the building and commitment of the people there is amazing, and most importantly, it's working.

Now that the temperature is dropping, our Patrons are in urgent need of Sleeping Bags, Fleece/Flannel shirts and winter coats, to help them stay warm. If you can help, please drop your new or gently used & laundered items off at the Back Door Mission any day from 10:00am - 3pm. We are located at 66 Simcoe St. South Oshawa (entrance behind Simcoe St. United Church on Bagot St.) On behalf of our Patrons, we thank you!... #backdoormission #missionunited #givingback #oshawastrong #downtownoshawa

A great addition to the Mission United Team! Say hello to Margaret from John Howard Society who will be here Tuesday and Thursday 10am-3pm to provide housing help and more!

Hey Everybody!!!! . We are looking for Kitchen Volunteers.... Down here at the Back Door Mission for the Relief of Poverty ..... with Kitchen Experience plz...zzzz . Thursdays & Fridays . Plz msg me directly of you have the time and are interested . With Gratitude Chef William Share away Donna Arnold David Joe

Things have moved so fast since March that I never really posted much about this, but it's great to have showers up and running at the Mission for our clients! ...Staff and partner agencies have been providing by-appointment use for the last while, but we secured the Reaching Home grant way back in the first quarter of the year... and then COVID hit. Running this construction project as a side quest to all the other chaos and change going on was both a challenge and sometimes a welcome diversion. Over the years I've never made any point of posting on social media about this uninteresting life detail but I've done side work in construction, mainly working for a few friends with different home reno work (I've probably hung in excess of 1000 sheets of drywall and done my fair share of framing), so when this grant came along, I saw that I could save on some costs by leaving the certified trades to those certified to do them but taking care of much of the general work myself. Working with the hands can be good for the health of the mind and soul, sometimes. As the Mission United project rapidly expanded over the months, it would become less of an unusual sight over time if I came upstairs on occasion with my face and arms covered in drywall dust, or for me to come running down from my field office to meet contractors who were arriving, or for the many amazing friends who would show up at various times with an order of building supplies in their truck to keep things rolling. Between the water coming up from the aquifier nearby as plumbers broke up concrete floor, finding contractors and delays in parts arriving because of the COVID disruptions, the frequent surprises when working with a building section built in the 1950s, and a couple false fire alarms, it definitely added to the uniqueness of 2020 for me. Very grateful for everyone who came together to make it happen so that vulnerable individuals now have access to the dignity of a shower along with the many other services now being provided at one location.

PLEASE come out and support The Bargain Shop's food drive for the Back Door Mission!

Mission's Pantry List Week of Sept. 21st We are fully stocked on canned beans, dry pasta, Kraft dinner for now thanks to our generous donors! We are in need of the following: 1 litre juice tetra pks - all flavours... Juice boxes 8 pks all flavours Fruit Cups Pudding Cups Canned stew/chilli/ravioli Cereal - 400 gram boxes- fruit loops/frosted flakes etc. Canned veg all kinds including potatoes Canned fruit Canned meats - ham/turkey/salmon Corned beef White sugar Cans of coffee Donations can be dropped into the big cart just inside the exit of Liz's No Frills (Simcoe/Beatrice, Oshawa) or can be dropped off at the 'Mission any day, from 10:00am - 3:00pm. We can provide a safe drop off, where our volunteers will come out to your vehicle to get your donated products. We are so grateful for all donations. Thank you. #backdoormission #missionunited #givingback

FALL/WINTER CLOTHING NEEDED Help us top-off our closet and get ready for the season! Items must be new due to COVID-19 measures:... Men's t-shirts and long sleeve shirts Men's fleece shirts and jackets Men's winter coats Men's jeans and sweat pants (sizes 28, 30, 32 and 34) Men's underwear (S, M) and long johns New or Gently Used: Running shoes (men and women) Men's boots Belts Please drop the items off at our facility at 66 Simcoe St. South Oshawa (door is on Bagot Street) anyday between 10am-3pm Thank you, donations would be much appreciated!

Violet, our office is much brighter thanks to you and your beautiful artwork!! Thank you for fundraising for the Back Door Mission with the proceeds from your artwork. It was lovely meeting your Mom Susan and your Sister Coral too!

From the article: Erin Valant with the region’s affordable housing and homelessness initiatives says IOTC overall was successful in helping to stabilize people. We’re really seeing the outcomes and the great work that can be done when we start to build those supports around people, she said. https://globalnews.ca//camp-samac-homeless-permanent-hous/

Backpacks! Thank you Terry and Simcoe Hall Settlement House for your donation of backpacks, a much needed item here at the Mission. @simcoehallsh

Exciting news indeed! We are soon going to be launching our laundry facility, but we need your help! We are looking for a dryer in good condition. Please message us or call 905-728-4664 if you have a working dryer that you would like to donate! Thank you!

Cheesy-gooey-fun! Smoke's Poutinerie gave the Back Door Mission a staff and volunteer appreciation poutine party!!! Thank you Smoke's Poutinerie Oshawa and Rosanna from Isabella's Chocolate Cafe for connecting us with this yummy treat! #supportlocal

Well done to the Region of Durham and all agencies involved in helping people who are unsheltered get the supports that they need! #durhamstrong

Another batch of wonderful baked goods from Trisha Bower at Eat My Shortbread - a nice treat for our guests today.

Way to go FORM Health!! Thank you to Dr. Adam Armstrong and staff for holding food drive in the month of August.

Thank you to Dave and Eating Well Ministries for your contribution and amazing work in our community and for donating supplies to the Back Door Mission!

The Basket Project was started by university students in Toronto to help people facing homelessness by providing sanitary essentials and more during COVID-19...thank you to Sophie, Liam, and Keegan for starting a chapter here in Oshawa!! The Basket Project #donations #givingback

Join our team! We are looking for more volunteers for various positions such as: Screening Booth Attendant Parking Lot Attendant Food Service Attendant... Message us or email [email protected] to learn more!

The leaning tower of spices! We (especially Chef William) are so thankful to Julie St Hiliare Mitchell and her family for the cash donation towards kitchen spices! Flavor is life!

Thank you Oshawa Express for featuring us! From the article: It’s not duplicating any other services. What we have are other services starting to co-locate here in order to be where the people who have no phones and no computers are coming, she says. According to Hume McKenna, Mission United is what Durham’s homeless need right now.... https://oshawaexpress.ca/mission-united-a-success/