News & Events

One of my proudest moments of participating in the Victoria Pride Parade was when a young, pre-op transgender woman said that she never felt brave enough to walk in the parade until the day she marched with the staff and family of Our Place. It said a lot about this unique downtown centre for our […]

“It is overwhelming what you see on the streets. The pain, the suffering, and the children. My God, the children who are out there by themselves in the middle of the night. It’s terrifying.” — Miatreya When you first meet Miatreya, the vision of her working on an organic farm and raising her two sons […]

Overdose Prevention Site at Our Place There are two startling statistics in the first three months of Our Place operating an Overdose Prevention Site in its courtyard. The first is that staff have been able to respond to, on average, 30 drug overdoses per month. The second, and even more startling statistic during this deadly […]

At the end of a hard shift, most of us look forward to heading home, getting into something cozy, and relaxing. For Clifford, however, his bed was a dumpster behind the restaurant where he worked. For the last four years, Clifford, 34, has worked the evening shift at a local restaurant, cooking up chicken and […]

Lloyd freely admits he has made his fair share of mistakes, but for the most part he was able to stand on his own two feet while supporting a wife and two children — until the day his wife died. “Without my wife, I just wanted to die,” he admits. At age 54, and married […]

Wearing a Pink Floyd T-shirt, it’s evident that music has always played an important role in Jerry’s life. When asked when he got married, he easily answers, “It was the year The Eagles released ‘Hell Freezes Over’.” He smiles. “That’s what all my friends said, Hell must have frozen over if Jerry is getting married.” […]

Jackie is wrapped in a warm blanket when Karen gently clasps her hands around Jackie’s feet. “I can feel energy traveling up my entire body,” Jackie says. “Like a weight being lifted.” The confession brings a smile to Karen’s face. She has heard it before — many times — but each experience means something different […]

Many of us face obstacles in our daily lives that challenge even the toughest individuals, but for Kari that very first obstacle nearly killed her. She was barely two months old. Newborn and vulnerable, Kari was diagnosed with brain cancer that caused tumours to grow inside her tiny skull. Surgeons were able to operate and […]

There are many roads that lead to Our Place, whether you arrive as a volunteer, staff member or someone in need. Quite often, those paths are multi-forked and complex, but the end result is always that you’ve found a place of healing, hope and belonging. When David Pickard found himself at the door of Our […]