People In My Kitchen

Ryan Doucette, one of the newer staff members at Operation Come Home, sits down with me to discuss the reality campaign, what brought him to OCH, how he sees his role in regards to street-involved youth, and how he would do as a military sniper. You know, should that end up being a second career.

Jenna Odorico, Operation Come Home's school facilitator, sits down for a short chat about the 24 Hours of Homelessness, Shlomo's campaign to pie Mayor Jim Watson, the $24 Challenge, and live music strip clubs in New Brunswick. Jenna is my co-organizer of this year's #SuperbOwl party at the Mill Street Brew Pub in Ottawa - coming up Sunday! See you there? It's a great fundraiser!

Lynda Franc, the driving force behind Operation Come Home's annual reality campaign and my co-organizer for the past five years? Six years? We've all lost track. Here, we discuss this year's campaign, being arrested in Newfoundland, and observing a wedding from the rafters.

Shlomo is one of my favourite people. I first met him four years ago, as we were preparing to do the 24 Hours Of Homelessness event for Operation Come Home. He had just come from sleeping in a parking garage after what had proved to be the coldest night of the entire year. Much like tonight's -35. Homeless, fighting mental illness, and addicted, Shlomo was lost. Today, he's found. He went through Operation Come Home's variety of programs, and came out the other side clean and sober, employed, housed, and ready to really do something. That something was helping Operation Come Home with this year's 24 Hours of Homelessness and our reality campaign. He has a campaign going where he has convinced Ottawa mayor Jim Watson to get a pie in the face if Shlomo is able to raise $10,000 for OCH. To read Shlomo's full story, and donate to his campaign, go to www.pieourmayor.ca. In this podcast, we talk Criminal Minds and mental illness, the theft of toilet paper, avoiding fisticuffs and how the mayor can get out of this pie-in-the-face bet. (Hint: it involves core funding.) Take a listen, please - get to know this terrific kid the way I know him, and you'll be cheering for him and his initiative until it's done. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/operation-come-home/campaign/theottawapiechallenge/

Wherein I sit down with my dad (an economist) and my sister (a teacher by way of psychology). We discuss the city of Ottawa budget (to be finalized today) the Donald Trump GOP tax plan (to be finalized hopefully never) as well as gentrification, minimum wage increases, and the guaranteed minimum income idea. That, and craft beer, hipsterism, charitable giving, and the price of ski chalets in Newfoundland.

My friend Mel Adams stops by to explain her obsession with skulls and her fear of spiders. Then we get into the important stuff. Shrunken heads, deer ticks, and how not to pick up a girl who's out walking.

My university roommate (Sang Trinh) and one of my first bosses ever (Dana Fleming) visit my kitchen to talk sexism, sex assault, sexual harassment and all that. You know, like in the news. Is it still okay to enjoy the work of some guy who turned out to be a complete dirtbag? Yes, some of this is about my Steven Seagal obsession. And some of it is about why shirtless firemen in calendars are always holding puppies. Or koalas.