A Father's Story

When a single father was first referred to the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, he had reservations about using our services. He was very close to his two children and was hesitant about leaving them in the care of other adults. He had only recently moved to Ottawa and his children were struggling with a very tumultuous past, including living in a shelter.

The father was looking to “normalize” things for his children. His reluctance quickly dissipated as he became familiar with our skilled and consistent staff team and recognized the support and strength of the Club. He says he was so relieved to learn membership is free and the Club would help his children with literacy and numeracy development.

When the father started working nights, his reliance on the Club grew as he has no family in Ottawa to lean on. Over the year, his children were offered tutoring and became part of the reading club. The difference the Club made in this family’s life was tremendous; the children’s academic performance and social integration were both positively impacted.