Beyond Gift Cards: How Capital Prosperity Foundation and OPS Are Transforming Families' Lives

The Capital Prosperity Foundation (CPF) and The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) have been working together since their partnership in 2023 to help Ottawa families experiencing poverty.

Working directly with the community, OPS officers witness first-hand the challenges families face every day. Their partnership with CPF allows them to identify families in need for their programs, such as the Gift Card Program and the Make A House A Home Program.

The Gift Card Program provides $100 gift cards to vulnerable families to help them put food on the table and buy household necessities. This initiative has become one of the most impactful programs, widely used by OPS’s Neighbourhood Resource Teams (NRT), Community Police Officers (CPO), and Frontline Officers.

Last year, the Ottawa Police Service received 60 cards and all but 8 were distributed.

“I met with the mother outside while the kids were inside watching TV,” said an Ottawa Police officer. “When she first saw the police, she had the look of concern on her face, however that quickly changed. I told her about this amazing program that provided two Giant Tiger gift cards for her to get what she needed just in time for the holidays.”

The mother was deeply touched. “She was extremely surprised with tears falling from her eyes,” described the officer. “She hugged me multiple times and could not stop thanking me.”

The Gift Card Program does not only help families, but it also has a significant impact on officers who get the privilege of personally distributing the gift cards, strengthening community bonds, building trust, and fostering goodwill. “I am positive that this program has given this family a small miracle just before Christmas,” the officer said. “I can't thank you enough for letting me be part of it.”

The Capital Prosperity Fund continues to provide essential support through the distribution of gift cards, made available to the Ottawa Police Service as needed.

Make A House A Home helps OPS officers fund essential furniture and appliances for struggling families. During the annual “Shop with a Cop” Christmas event, an officer was paired with an 8-year-old girl whose family had recently moved to Canada from Cameroon. Her parents were without work and struggling to find employment.

The officer found out that this child and her younger sibling did not have a bed. When they advised CPF, the family received gift cards to buy groceries and were also gifted a queen bed for the children to share.

If you would like to join us in making a difference in children’s lives, visit the Capital Prosperity website for more info or to donate.