Since its inception as an organization over 50 years ago, the Mechanical Contractors Association of Ottawa has prioritized philanthropy – finding ways of giving back to both the community it calls home, and beyond. 

Like many throughout the pandemic, however, the local association, which supports and promotes the advancement of the mechanical trades such as plumbing, sheet metal and pipe fitting, saw its charitable fundraising events halted, leaving the team searching for a new way to give back. 

Seeing the impact of the pandemic on businesses in the capital and the city’s most vulnerable, it only took one call to The Ottawa Mission for a new decade-long partnership to flourish.

“There’s always been this educational component to our community support, so when we learned about the Stepping Stones Learning Centre at The Ottawa Mission, it really struck a chord with us,” says Mary Gauthier, general manager of MCA Ottawa. “Education isn’t a handout, it’s a hand up, and that really resonated with us.”

To show its support for the program, MCA Ottawa gifted $100,000 to the Learning Centre, becoming its exclusive 10-year sponsor.

Often described as a “small classroom with a big heart”, the Stepping Stones Learning Centre provides attendees with access to educational advancement opportunities and learning goals such as high school completion, literacy and numeracy courses, ESL and FSL training, computer training and post-secondary studies.

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