The Waupoos Foundation provides holidays and respite to low-income families in the Ottawa community. Waupoos Family Farm is a registered charity with a unique mission to serve families who live below the poverty line through facilitating a community experience. Since 1975, qualified families who have no other opportunities for a family holiday and have at least one child 16 years or younger have been welcome to apply for a vacation at Waupoos Family Farm in south Ottawa. The farm hosts up to five families at a time, providing refuge from the day-to-day challenges of poverty in the context of a recreational camp experience for the whole family. Cottagers are free to participate in swimming, nature walks, bonfires, archery, arts and crafts, sports and many other games and activities over the course of each session. Among the farm's amenities include a detached three-bedroom cottage for each family, a community lodge for all-weather/all-season meals and activities, a petting zoo, an in-ground pool with lifeguard supervision (summer), and a dedicated farm management team. Poverty is more than a lack of material possessions; it challenges personal freedom, resulting in a degree of alienation from society. A reprieve from the challenges of daily life, Waupoos Family Farm is a community that people choose. Children and parents make friends, create happy memories, and deepen bonds both within their own families and with others. These shared experiences are the basis of the Waupoos community and the foundation for peer relationships that continue to grow. Waupoos Family Farm was founded in the Catholic tradition and prides itself on the equal-access offering of our programming irrespective of race, gender, religion, or sexuality. Although Waupoos Family Farm is founded on Catholic spirituality, there is no requirement for visiting families to have any religious affiliation. We welcome people of all faiths and beliefs.