Community

	Operation Come Home
	Operation Come Home accomplishes this mission by providing homeless youth ages 16-30 with a variety of unique programs and services. Today, Operation Come Home offers supported education and employment, social enterprises, street outreach, drop-in centre and emergency services and our original mandate, reunite, that assists runaway youth return home to their families. Operation Come Home provides programs and services to more than 350 youth per year, all of whom gain access to OCH with the hope of becoming contributing members of their communities. Operation Come Home is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping youth on the streets. Founded in 1971 by the late Rev. Norman Johnston (a police chaplain), Organization began by helping to reunite street youth with their families. Incorporated in 1985 and growing in reputation, Operation Come Home continued to help hundreds of youth and families across Canada. Operation Come Home remains the only organization in Canada that reunites youth with their families. In 2002, in answer to the needs expressed by our clients on a local level, we developed the Youth Alternative Centre which in 2006 has been renamed the Cactus Youth Centre, a downtown Ottawa drop-in for street youth and at-risk youth. Over the years, in answer to our clients’ needs, we have developed a number of programs and services. However, many people in the community still think that we only provide our Reunite Program, when in reality we do so much more. To solve this dilemma we highlight all our programs through our Five Pillars: Drop-In, Education, Employment, Outreach and Reunite. From the thousands of wine and beer bottles we amass each month, ALL proceeds from the bottle deposits are donated to operation come home.

	Local sponsorships/charities
	Pepper Garden is commited to the sponsoring of dozens of local organizations that help those in need. A complete list will be posted shortly. >Serenity House Inc. Providing Residential treatment for substance use disorders >MBNA United Way/Centrade campaign >NRC United Way/Centrade campaign