Your donation makes all the difference!

A donation, no matter how big or small, helps to keep our phones lines available 365 days a year.

Your donation helps us to answer every call that comes through

Each and every year, the Distress Centre of Ottawa & Region relies on the community it serves to maintain a high-quality service for people who are in distress or crisis.  These are people with kind hearts who want to help others in need, former clients who have lived through challenging times and understand the value of the work we do, businesses and corporations who want to better the quality of life in their community, and foundations that create opportunities for communities to thrive.  We could not operate without their compassion and tremendous generosity.  Our donors simply love to give to our services because they believe in what we do.

Your Donation Funds Critical Mental Health Services Such As:

24/7 Distress Line

In operation since 1969, the Ottawa Distress Line is an all-encompassing telephone service for English-speaking clients to talk about any issue that disturbs their well-being or ability to cope.

Emergency Support Line

This new service allows Paramedic Communications Officers to contact Distress Centre Responders to provide emotional support and stabilization for patients exhibiting suicidal behaviour and are waiting for the Paramedics to arrive on the scene.

24/7 Crisis Line

Crisis Line Responders offer crisis defusion, psychological stabilization, emotional support, problem solving, social maintenance, information and referrals to pertinent community resources which may be helpful to the patient following their discharge from the hospital (including the Mental Health Crisis Line) to patients.  

Wellness Check Services

The goal of the Wellness Check Services is to connect with patients who were recently discharged from a hospital or who presented at an Emergency Department for a mental health concern to ensure that they are functioning well following discharge.

Most importantly, when you donate to the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region, you are contributing to public awareness on mental health issues and access to support. Through your donation, you help to prevent crisis & suicide.

Your donation is put right into action!

$25.00 keeps our phone lines open for one hour

$50.00 keeps our phone lines open for two hours

$75.00 keeps our phone lines open for three hours

$100 sponsors an overnight shift from midnight-7:00am

$250 puts one of our volunteers through the ASIST workshop

$1000 allows us to train a class of fifteen new volunteers

Thank you to our recent donors:

Patrick donated $300 and says "Thanks to the BTR team of Milke and Andy for helping with the Christmas lights... and from Maggie remembering her time volunteering with you many years ago."

"A roommate of mine killed himself 3.5 years ago, so if I can help prevent someone else from marking that decision..."  - Alice

"I'm inspired by my friend who is a longtime Distress Centre volunteer!" - Lis

"I'm donating on behalf of our workplace who collected donations once a week to have Fridays off this summer!"

Set-Up A Monthly Donation:

Thank you for your interest in setting up a recurring monthly donation to the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region. Having a guaranteed donation each month ensures that we can rely on a stream of funds that we know we can use to provide services to those in need.

Click the button below to learn more about setting up a recurring donation!

Set-Up Recurring Donation