One-woman grassroots outreach touching Ottawa’s homeless population

She knows most of them on a first-name basis, handing out bags of supplies and food as much as she can.

It’s called Shawna’s Outreach.

“An unpaid position, unfunded, one woman — I’m unstoppable. I bring items people wanna share with the people who need them,” Shawna Thibodeau told RogersTV in an interview.

She’s been creating bags for Ottawa residents who need them since 2009. The first thing Thibodeau puts in the bag is a drink, then socks — the most in-demand clothing item — and if donations allow, a protein drink or supplement beverage follows.

Thibodeau posts on Facebook asking for donations and has an Amazon wish list for people to easily contribute. All the items go directly into the bags, which she stuffs inside her SUV. Sometimes there are over 130 individual bags for her to hand out.

“Not everyone on the street has an education, not everyone in the world understands how politics works, so that’s why some of us are out there doing what we can to help fill those holes in the system,” she said.

On the rainy day of dropping off the bags, Thibodeau was speaking to RogersTV about the stigmas that still exist surrounding people who are homeless or who are addicts.

“It’s okay, hon,” she said mid-sentence to a man just outside the cameraview, turning to grab a bag from the trunk of the SUV.

“It’s so appreciated,” the man tells Thibodeau as she hands him a package. “I appreciate what you do.”

Wendy McKinley, who works at Centretown Community Health Centre nearby, where Thibodeau does her stop, said she sees the one-woman organization often.

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“I know the clients really appreciate all the effort that she puts into the bags and the things she provides,” McKinley said. “The relationships she builds. She builds trust and develops rapport with folks, that it’s not always easy to do that with.”

Members of the public have asked Thibodeau before how they can help, and her first ask is to put more kindness into the world by smiling at strangers.

Other ways to help include using drop locations she’s created around the city for gently used items or non-perishable food. On her Facebook page, she shares lists of items needed that week and takes photos thanking people for their Amazon packaged donations.

One man who spoke with RogersTV explained how Thibodeau has created hope for the community.

“She doesn’t judge, she doesn’t see us, bad people or addicts…She just sees us as people, which is good, cause that’s rare,” he said.

People needing help continues to grow

Social services in the city are stretched thin; food banks and grassroots efforts are stepping up more than ever to respond to the growing number of people ending up without a home.

There are almost 3,000 people in Ottawa experiencing homelessness, according to the city’s latest Point-in-Time (PiT) Count.

City staff also note that a detailed survey — dubbed the 2024 Survey — which ran longer this year, helped include those couch-surfing or staying in temporary or insecure housing. A press release reads that moving the survey online allowed more people to participate. It is different from the PiT Count, which does not ask detailed questions but simply counts the person; however, there are a lot of people counted who also participate in the survey.

It will not come as a surprise that the number of people living without a home has increased.

Many local agencies have been grappling with food insecurity, housing and mental health crises for years and have been sounding the alarm for just as long.

Shelters are overflowing as the nation’s capital deals with “catastrophic” levels of food insecurity and homelessness, the Ottawa Mission’s 2024 annual impact report states. The charity says it has seen unprecedented levels of homelessness in Ottawa over the last year, a situation made worse by the increasing number of people seeking refuge.