Karli Zschogner

Cassidy Copenace

“Whenever I was struggling with the thought of wanting to hurt myself, or wanting to go out and drink, I would bead until I didn’t feel that way anymore,” said Cassidy Copenace, a 21 year-old living in Naotkamegwanning First Nation. “Even if I was beading all night, and if I was tired, I would just keep going until I was either super tired, or I just didn’t feel the way I did before I started doing my beadwork.”

Caroline Cox of the Shepherds of Good Hope knew in March when the pandemic hit, they would be in trouble, not just for the number of already-vulnerable persons they help but in losing their dedicated senior volunteers leaving for their health and safety. However, their downtown Ottawa location has had an unexpected uptick in the number of student volunteers.