I am honoured to have taken on the role of Executive Director Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation in early January. The Foundation is the fundraising arm for Shepherds of Good Hope. We raise the much needed funds to support the many programs and services offered by Shepherds of Good Hope.
When I first came to the Foundation I wanted to learn as much as I could about the clients we serve and to really understand them. I want to be able to sit down with a donor and help them really comprehend what life is like for the people they are helping. I thought how, can I possibly appreciate their life unless I really experience it myself?
Late one afternoon in early February, I walked into Women’s Outreach and told them I needed a place to sleep; no one knew who I was. I spoke to many women that night all happy to share their stories and help me adjust to a life of living in a shelter. I was witnessing first hand the work that we do everyday but from our Clients’ point of view. The most profound statement I heard that evening was “Once you are in you can never get out.” What this statement refers to is once you enter a life of living in a shelter it is almost impossible to break that cycle.
What became very clear to me is the need for more supportive housing. It is always the goal when someone comes through the doors of Shepherds of Good Hope to address their immediate needs. The next step is to connect them with a Case Manager. After an assessment is done a determination is made and they are put in touch with the appropriate social service agencies. Every effort is made to get people out of the shelters and into supportive housing. Sadly, this doesn’t always happen. The lack of supportive housing is the reason why we have so many beds in the emergency shelter and mats on the floors of our overflow. We should never hear the words spoken again “Once you are in here you can never get out”.
As the Executive Director of Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation I would be honoured to meet with you – our generous donors – and give you a tour of our facilities so that you too can understand that a life of dignity should be accessible to everyone.
