Our Livable Solutions

10/08/2026

OLS received exciting news! In partnership with ServiceOntario, we are now able to help cut some red tape for people without homes who need Health Cards!

OLS is already partnered with ServiceOntario to be able to process birth certificate applications for no fee and with a bit of red tape cutting. Being able to assist people in reestablishing their identities to open doors to housing, employment, health care.... is important work, and we're glad to be able to do it.

Costs not covered by ServiceOntario are covered by Play Gaming & Entertainment charitable bingo funds and community donations. Thank you to OLSs' Volunteer Bingo Team and community donors for enabling this effort!

Donations to enable more people to acquire their identification are much appreciated: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/our-livable-solutions/

OLS is able to offer ID Clinics at 6 locations across Kingston thanks to community partners! Thank you St. Andrew's Presbyterian Kingston, Chalmers United Church, Kingston Food Bank- Partners in Mission, Lunch by George, Peers of the Round Table, and St. Mary's Cathedral (St Rita's Drop-In & Cafe) for enabling this effort!

Volunteers to help at identification clinics are urgently needed. Training is provided, you just need a friendly smile, decent handwriting and attention to detail. Contact [email protected]

10/06/2026

There’s something special about learning skills that can help you care for the people around you.Push For Life recently had the pleasure of delivering Intermediate First Aid training in Kingston for residents and staff from Ryandale Transitional Housing. Hosted at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Churc...

10/05/2026

Thank you Kingston Waterfront Rotary Club for inviting us to share our journey with you this evening!

Date: Monday, October 5, 2026
Location: RCHA Club (193 Ontario St)
Time: 5:30pm in person or join virtually via Zoom (https://queensu.zoom.us/j/98752865183?pwd=uc1s8ydQ1CRg6UglVlL5PGb8pU9vEa.1 )

Since 2020, Our Livable Solutions (OLS) has been walking alongside people on their journey out of homelessness in Kingston, Ontario. This video shares stories of courage, resilience, and community — told through the metaphor of climbing a mountain. Each person’s climb is unique, filled with

09/30/2026

This week, OLS toured the 17 sleeping cabins, now quietly waiting in storage for the day they can provide a safe, warm place to rest and heal at Crossroads Village (https://www.ourlivable.solutions/crossroads-village).

Two alumni joined us on the tour, making the experience especially meaningful. Walking among the cabins brought forward a range of emotions. We felt pride in what they once provided, sadness that they are sitting unused, and, above all, a renewed sense of urgency. These cabins were built to provide people with safety, warmth, dignity, and a place to begin again. We need to see them back in use, doing exactly that.

You’re Invited!

Please join the Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston (http://www.ckrotary.org) for a conversation about Crossroads Village and the work underway to bring this vision to life.

Guest Speaker: Chrystal Wilson
Topic: Crossroads Village

Date: Tuesday October 6th, 2026

Time: 11:30 a.m. — Gather and order lunch
12:00–1:15 p.m. — Meeting

Location: Coco Frutti 768 Gardiners Rd., separate meeting room

Attend in person or via Zoom.

I’m Coming! Please click to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJWNu_Z0HtfwA4D84WCPE-ErkknBFVw0iU3c4wKvBklNcnPA/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86527713700?pwd=ZUZCbjhKWGlpcjBlS21XYnNCU2lmUT09

09/26/2026

It's an exciting day for the Spark of Life House residents who have been participating in OLS's Micro Loan Pilot Project!

One of the participants has a table set up in the Skeleton Park Yard Sale & Block Party with a sampling of the items participants have produced! You can find 'Traci's Knick Knacks' on Charles Street from 10am to 3pm.

What you'll find:

Under the Sea Slime - Gooey sensory fun for kids of all ages.
Winter Survival Kit for Golfers - Make your own desktop dream golf course.
Spooky Sensory Kits - Wholesome fun for young ones.
Beaded Creations - custom creations made on site.
Art Greeting Cards - handwritten cards are a treat to receive!

Proceeds from the sale of these items support the Spark of Life House and Micro Loan participant's business growth.

https://www.ourlivable.solutions/community-house

https://www.ourlivable.solutions/initiatives/micro-loan-pilot-project

09/19/2026

One of our Spark of Life House (https://www.ourlivable.solutions/community-house) residents has grown a significant container garden. We have been feasting on home grown veggies, and delicious spaghetti sauce made with only ingredients from the garden.

What this resident created was more than a garden. It’s a conversation starter and community building initiative.

At the end of the school year, a teacher brought his class to learn from the garden. Neighbours walk by, provide positive feedback, and sometimes head home with fresh produce. We’ve met a lot of furry neighbours too! One neighbour is planning on pickling some of the hot peppers for the resident.

All it took was a safe place to live, and positive support, for this resident to create and nurture a community gem.

The Spark of Life House is full with 7 diverse residents. Our waiting list is also filling up with good people who could seek opportunity and pursue their passions if only they had a safe place to live.

We could open more houses, but we’ll need your support. OLS is not receiving government support. We’re focused on finding creative ways to provide people homes because it’s the right thing to do.

You can help. Please consider a monthly donation to sustain the Spark of Life House, and build future homes.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/our-livable-solutions/

09/16/2026

In Memory of Will Towell

It is with great sadness that Our Livable Solutions shares the passing of our friend, Will Towell.

July 26, 1958 – September 15, 2026.

Will was a valued member of OLS’s Unhoused Advisory Committee and Board Membership, bringing something to our work that cannot be learned from reports, statistics or policy papers - lived experience.

Will knew homelessness from the inside. He was generous in sharing that experience with us. Sometimes challenging us, sometimes making us laugh, and always reminding us of the importance of listening to the people most affected by the systems we are trying to change.

Will wanted to know that his life, his voice and his efforts to help others mattered.

They did.

Our work is better because Will was part of it, and his perspective will continue to influence the work we do.

We extend our love and condolences to Will’s daughter, stepson, grandchildren, family and friends. We are grateful that they shared a piece of Will with us.

Thank you, Will, for your voice, your trust and your willingness to teach us. You will be missed.

09/13/2026

Hanging on to summer, our Spark of Life crew enjoyed a fun day at the beach today! We brought the sweet sounds of the waves back to share with you. Enjoy!

09/02/2026

75 people have regained vital identification through Our Livable Solutions ID Clinics so far this year!

For someone experiencing homelessness or housing instability, replacing lost or missing identification can be an important step toward accessing housing, income supports, health care and other essential services. Yet navigating the paperwork, requirements and costs can be a significant barrier.

OLS ID Clinics began through a partnership with Chalmers United Church’s Outreach Circle (https://chalmersunitedchurch.org/chalmers-outreach/), supporting people accessing their vital Grocery Card program. When Chalmers took a much needed break over the summer, a grant from Community Foundation for Kingston & Area gave us the opportunity to expand this work across the city.

Today, OLS ID Clinics operate in partnership with six community organizations, helping us bring identification services directly to people who need them.

These ID Clinics also give us an opportunity to connect people with community resources, assist with referrals to other agencies, and provide additional support when needed.

We’re meeting people where they’re at.

Thanks to our partnership with ServiceOntario, we can process Ontario birth certificate applications at no cost to the people we serve. Funds raised by our dedicated Bingo volunteers at Play Gaming & Entertainment, together with community donations, help cover the cost of Ontario Photo ID Cards and birth certificates for people born outside Ontario.

Volunteer with OLS
If you have an aptitude for paperwork and research, and enjoy helping people navigate systems that can sometimes be complicated, please consider volunteering with an OLS ID Clinic. DM or email [email protected].

Support this work
Your donation can help someone overcome a very practical barrier on their path toward stable housing. $35 is all it takes to give someone back their identity. Please consider donating: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/our-livable-solutions/

09/01/2026

A huge thank you to the lovely ladies in Shout Sister Choir!

https://www.shoutsisterchoir.ca

Shout Sister Choir has once again shown what it means to stand with Our Livable Solutions and the people we serve.

Through their incredible generosity, the ladies donated $604.65 to support female presenting participants in OLS’s Micro Loan Pilot Project (https://www.ourlivable.solutions/initiatives/micro-loan-pilot-project). The funds will be used to purchase a market cart for one of our participants.

And then came another beautiful surprise!

Shout Sister Choir donated an additional $180 to recognize the participants at Spark of Life House (https://www.ourlivable.solutions/community-house) for being such great neighbours and positive members of their community. We've challenged the group to design a fun night out for themselves. Bowling or movies are the top contenders so far....

These gifts are about so much more than dollars. They are a message to the people OLS serves that their community sees them, believes in them, and is standing alongside them.

To everyone in Shout Sister Choir, THANK YOU for standing with OLS, for standing with the people we serve, and for helping build a kinder, more connected community.