Thank you to all of our supporters

As we count down the final hours of 2015, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported our work at Shepherds of Good Hope.

Thank you to everyone who made a financial gift or donated food, clothing or any item to help make the lives of Ottawa's vulnerable men and women better. During the last 12 months, I was touched numerous times by the generosity of our supporters.

The work doesn't stop at midnight, though. Tomorrow, while most of us are relaxing and thinking ahead to our 2016 goals, men and women will be lining up outside the soup kitchen at 7 am for breakfast. Lunch and dinner will be served at their usual times and we expect a crowd for the evening drop-in.

Homeless people don't get to take a vacation from their lives. There is no respite. But thanks to your support over the last 12 months, you have made a huge impact in the lives of many people. You clothed people. You fed them. You helped them get into their own housing. You helped stabilize their health. You helped them reconnect with their families. You helped them find jobs.

Every day, you help create a better life for someone and I want to sincerely thank you for joining us on our mission to offer compassion and care to Ottawa's homeless population. I hope you'll join us in that mission again in 2016.

Happy New Year to you and your families. Before you go, please look over some of my favourite photos from the past year

Time to make that end-of-year donation

It's almost the end to another year. As I write this there is less than 48 hours to make a donation before the clock strikes 2016.

So why is it so important to make a donation before the end of the year?

Well, there are lots of good reasons to donate to Shepherds of Good Hope at any time of the year, but there is always an extra push at the end of the year. Here are some reasons why I'm encouraging everyone to make a donation before the end of the year.

1. We look after some of Ottawa's most vulnerable men and women and they need your help. Your donation is needed because it helps feed, shelter and clothe 1,600 men and women who come to Shepherds of Good Hope every day.

2. It supports supportive living. We run several supportive living homes. The people who live here suffer from mental and physical health issues. Many of them lived in the shelter before we were able to find them a more suitable place to call home. Without your support, many of these residents would end up back in the shelter or on the street.

3. When you make a donation, you're also helping feed and clothe people who live in poverty. We run a food and clothing program twice a week. It's there for people living in the shelter but it's also there for anyone living in the community who is struggling to get by.

4. Your donation supports our programs. Here's just one example. There is a myth that homeless people don't want to work. That's simply not true. That's why we have the Worker Program. It's for men and women who are working but still don't have the means to live on their own.

5. Taxes: Make a donation and you'll impact your taxes in a good way for 2015. We hope you donate because you want to help people, because it makes you feel good, but if the reason you donate is to save on taxes, there's nothing wrong with that.

6. Making a donation will lift your spirits and the spirits of others. Research has proven it makes us feel good to help others.

To make a donation, visit our donation page or call 613-789-8210, ext. 225.

The Christmas Spirit

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I was here serving the gravy as I usually do on Christmas Day. You never know who is going to drop by and this year was no different.

Magalie, 12, Felix, 11, Maxime, 9, Sophie, 8, Elyse, 4, and Alexandre, 2, dropped by with their parents. Maxime had suggested everyone spend the morning making sandwiches for homeless people before anyone opened their gifts. So that's what they did. They arrived at the shelter around 11 in the morning and delivered 40 sandwiches to grateful men and women.

What a wonderful thing to do. They could have spent their morning opening gifts and playing with them. But instead, they were in the kitchen making sandwiches. I know their parents Philippe and Veronic are very proud of their children. Thank you so much for stopping by on Christmas Day.

Every Christmas I get to witness selfless acts of generosity like this one.

It's all about the clients

Merry Christmas, everyone. I know a lot of you are busy with last minute details. Perhaps you have to hit the mall one more time to pick up a last gift. Maybe you're in the kitchen baking holiday treats for the friends and family who are going to visit over the next few days.

At Shepherds of Good Hope, we're getting ready for Christmas, too. The decorations have been up for weeks and the gifts for the men and women will be handed out tomorrow. A lot of the shoe boxes we hand out are put together by school children and I want to send a special thank you to all the students who helped us in our mission this year.

This morning, we were hanging some art in the shelter to give a little more colour and to show off the special talents some of the men and women have. Here's a little exhibit along with a group photo of some of the artists.

Shepherds of Good Hope is in the news

It's been a good week for Shepherds of Good Hope when it comes to media coverage.

One of the ways to show you what type of impact we're making in the community with your donation is to tell stories. When we can get some of those stories out through newspapers and radio, it gives us a different way to reach you. Lots of people still listen to radio or read a newspaper.

Today, Ottawa Citizen columnist Kelly Egan wrote a column on the TESP diversion program. Some of you might remember that back in June we introduced a new protocol for paramedics. They no longer have to bring a homeless person to the hospital ER. We have health staff at our shelter and we can help homeless men and women with certain needs. I'll let you read the column to discover how beneficial this is.

We also have Alison Sandor at CFRA who profiled the managed alcohol program at The Oaks. This is a very innovative program that has attracted attention from around the world. Again, I'll let you read the story to find out what makes this program so exciting.

I'm hoping that when you read these stories you'll appreciate the impact your donation has on the men and women who have so little but need so much. The three most important things we do with your donation is provide shelter, food and clothing. But Ottawa's homeless men and women need so much more if they are going to find a way out of shelter life and into their own housing.

That's what your donation accomplishes. If you would like to see first-hand the impact your donation has, please call me for a tour of our facilities at 613-789-8210, ext. 247, or reach out by e-mail at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com.

Charlie and his Christmas blessing bags

Charlie is at it again.

You might remember the six-year-old boy who came to visit me at the end of the school year. He and close family friend Logan had run a lemonade stand and raised more than $400. Charlie also solicited donations and put together dozens of blessing bags that he handed out to homeless men and women around the market.

Earlier this fall, Charlie decided he wanted to do the same thing again at Christmas. Instead of lemonade, he sold hot chocolate. This time he raised more than $300. And he handed out blessing bags again to homeless men and women.

Charlie stopped by my office this morning with Logan, his mother, and his grandparents. It was so nice to see him again and see that wonderful smile.

I asked Charlie if he was looking forward to Christmas and like any little boy, he's anxiously waiting for Santa to make a visit at the end of the week. But it didn't stop Charlie from coming out during his Christmas vacation to help those less fortunate.

Charlie is an inspiration. Thank you so much Charlie.

Canadian Police College fundraiser

I've blogged often over the year about workplaces that hold fundraisers along with having some fun. The latest example is the Canadian Police College. By holding a jeans day and "charging" people for it, they managed to raise several hundred dollars for Shepherds of Good Hope.

A jeans day is probably one of the more popular fundraisers that workplaces have. I've also seen schools do it but with a twist. Since students wear jeans most days, they charge students a loonie to wear their hat or to dress up goofy on one day a week, usually a Friday. One class even had a pajamas day. That's a little more difficult to do in a workplace, especially if a lot of your staff is having to deal with the public.

But these types of campaigns are very simple to run. And over time, you'd be surprised with how much you can raise in a short period of time.

Thank you to Ross, left, and Jeff from the Canadian Police College for their donation to Shepherds of Good Hope.

Investors Group volunteers in the kitchen

For many years Investors Group has made it a point of volunteering in our Soup Kitchen. They were here again today. What a great looking bunch of volunteers in bright and early to help prepare our daily meal.

I want to thank everyone for coming out again this year and volunteering at a special time of the year.

If you're interested in group volunteering, please check out our volunteer page.

Homeless people come from all backgrounds

There is an interesting article about a group out west that wants the Alberta government to devote more resources to homelessness in rural communities. (Click here to read the story).

It reminded me that we can make quick conclusions about where homeless people come from. Yes, you will find more homeless people in the bigger cities like Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and so on. But they didn't necessarily come from just around the corner to reach the shelter.

I met a homeless person recently who was from Russell. So how does someone in a small town end up in a big-city shelter? Sometimes it's because they can't find a job in their community, so they come to a larger centre like Ottawa to try to find work. They have the best of intentions, but things don't always go as planned. If you have moved here from a rural community or another part of the country, you can quickly find yourself down on your luck if you don't find work. A lot of people who move here looking for a better life don't have family support. They might not have friends who they know well enough to stay with.

We serve a lot of men and women who are new to Ottawa. A shelter is not their first choice, but often it's their only choice. When someone comes to Shepherds of Good Hope, we don't judge. It doesn't matter how far they have travelled or where they are originally from. It doesn't matter what their background is. They may have been struggling to make ends meet. They might have had what some consider a successful life but for a variety of reasons -- financial, health -- they lost those things and now they are turning to us for help.

During the Christmas season, please think of all the men and women who have moved to our great city to try to make a better life for themselves, to have the things that you and I have. Let's give them hope for the future. Please help.

St. Thomas More students outdo themselves

Our driver is going to have to make sure we have a lot of room in the truck. That's because St. Thomas More students outdid themselves this year, putting together more than 200 shoe boxes.

It's amazing the donations we are getting this year from schools. On Tuesday, our driver is actually heading out to three different schools who have collected items to give to the men and women in our care.

Thank you to all of the students. Your Christmas break is just around the corner and I know many of you are excited to get a break from school.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It can be a difficult time for many at Christmas. Studies have shown that people can experience depression at Christmas. Rates of domestic abuse increase. People get into financial trouble because of the pressure to make Christmas perfect.

Now imagine that you are homeless. It can be a difficult and lonely time for homeless men and women during the holiday season. Our mission is always to provide support and care with compassion and to ensure every man and women has the opportunity for a life of dignity. It's no different at Christmas. During the next couple of weeks, all of our programs throw Christmas parties for our clients. It's just one of the many ways we try to create a community for those men and women in our care.

There's lots of baked goods to munch on, we play Christmas music and for a few hours everyone just focuses on having a good time. Later this month, Santa will likely make a visit as he does every year.

We also get groups volunteering to come in a decorate. We already see lots of great Christmas decorations in the shelter. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped create a festive atmosphere.

If you would like to help some of the most vulnerable men and women in the city, please visit our donation page.

We're looking for disposable razors

Everywhere I walk in the Byward Market, I see a lot of young men with beards. These young men are growing beards on purpose and some of them are still going with the man bun. I guess if you decide to wear a beard, you'll make your razor last a lot longer, especially if you're one of those men who doesn't care about trimming his beard around the neck line.

At Shepherds of Good Hope, we're not quite into fashion statements in the same way, but that doesn't mean it isn't important for men and women to have access to those things that will make life a little easier.

One of those things is a razor. We don't think of razors often as something a homeless shelter might need. But we have a lot of men in our care who are looking for work. We also have many men who are part of the Worker Program. This is a program for men and women who are working but have found themselves homeless or who have a strong desire to return to work.

When you go for a job interview, you like to put your best foot forward. You want to make a good impression. You want to go into the interview with some confidence. That can be difficult to do when you're living in a homeless shelter. It can be difficult to do something as simple as shave. Most men I know don't like to shave. But for the men in our care, it's a boost to the confidence, it adds a little self-respect when you can go to a job interview or start a new job clean shaven.

I know razors are expensive. All we're asking for are the disposable razors. We keep them in a drawer and we hand them out when someone needs one.

If you want to donate items to Shepherds of Good Hope, please consider a package of disposable razors. For more details, check out our donation page by clicking here.

Thank you, Ottawa Dragon Boat

The last thing anyone might be thinking about at this time of year is boating, especially dragon boating. But for a lot of organizations, such as the Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation, the work goes on all year long.

This week, we met with the good people at Ottawa Dragon Boat to receive a generous cheque of $25,000. For those of you not familiar with how the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival works, every year the festival raises money to support several charities. We were fortunate to be one of the charities last year.

It was a great festival. Our volunteers helped prepare food over the three days. Thank you to everyone who made it another successful event.

Below is a fun photo with Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation CEO and President John Brooman, myself, and Micah Garten, Development Officer with Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation.

Learning from the actions of children

I make it a point to blog every time someone tells me about another group of children making a wonderful donation to Shepherds of Good Hope. At this time of year, I could probably blog several times a week.

This week, a big thank you goes out to the students of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School in Orleans. On Tuesday, this group of Grade 1-6 students gathered in their gym and made over 2,000 sandwiches -- 2,090 to be precise. It took them less than a morning.

Sandwiches are so important to us. Although the soup kitchen is open for three meals a day as well as an evening drop-in, hunger doesn't follow a schedule. At any time of the day, someone could come to our doors, hungry and cold, and ask for a sandwich. Thanks to schools like St. Francis of Assisi, we have a sandwich to give them. During our evening drop-in, which is for clients as well as anyone living in the community, we make sandwiches and soup everyone.

There is a lesson here to learn from the students. First, it doesn't take a lot of work to make an impact. Secondly, the children don't question what the impact is of making sandwiches or making some other type of donation. They simply do what they can to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. They are also very eager to soak up what knowledge they can about homelessness. They want to know why people are homeless. They want to know what we do to help the homeless people. More importantly, they want to know what they can do to help the homeless. We can all learn from these children.

In the photo are some of the students who made the sandwiches. Thank you taking them all out to our truck. I know Don and Steve appreciated the extra help.

Donation of purses

I want to tell you about a creative way a group of women donated to Shepherds of Good Hope recently.

Three of the women -- Monica Wright, her daughter Tracey Wright and Tanya O'Connor -- were part of a group that collected women's purses to give to the women who stay at our shelter or in one of our supportive living facilities. But they donated a lot more than just purses. Those purses were filled with donated items that women can use every day. Here's a CTV story on the project.

It's a very clever way of making a donation. We know the women in our care will love getting these purses that we plan to hand out later this month at Christmas. Thank you so much to the group for taking on this project. I'm sure it was fun.

It's a great example, though, of how fundraising can be fun. If you're doing a group fundraising project, set a goal. Hopefully you'll exceed that goal but goals can make a project manageable. For example, the women who collected the purses had the goal of filling the purses with certain items. A school will set a goal of making a certain number of sandwiches in one day. You might hold a canned food drive at your company and ask each person to bring in one can each day for a week. The goal is so easy for everyone to meet. Just one can per day for five days. And yet at the end of the week, everyone will be shocked at how much that adds up to. We'll even pick it up for you.

If you would like some ideas on what to donate, please visit our donation page or contact me at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com.

From left to right: Anna Silverman, Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation Executive Director, Monica Wright, Tracey Wright, Micah Garten, Development Officer, and Tanya O'Connor

Microsoft Ottawa donates sandwiches

I've blogged before about how many people will be hosting holiday luncheons and other events over the next month. Some don't even wait for a holiday.

On Thursday, we got a call out of the blue from our friends at Microsoft on Queen Street. They had sandwiches, bottles of juice, fruit platters and other delicious treats that they wanted to donate to us. So out went two people in a little Hyundai thinking they were just picking up a few sandwiches.

There was so much good stuff that they had to put the back seats down and pile it in the car and then drive very carefully back to Shepherds of Good Hope. Men and women were lined up outside for supper and they could see some of the wonderful sandwiches and treats we were delivering to the soup kitchen.

Thank you so much to the wonderful people at Microsoft.

It's that easy this holiday season. If you find yourself with leftover trays of food after your holiday lunch, just give us a call or you if you're in the neighbourhood, you can drop it off at our backdoor (Door No. 3) located at the back of our parking lot.

If you would like to make a donation, please call me at 613-789-8210, ext. 247.

Shepherds of Good Hope collects winter coats

I saw a tweet this morning. A tweeter was asking if there were any organizations in Ottawa that took winter coat donations. I was quick to reply: We do! And so do a lot of other organizations.

So far this fall, many of us have not needed our winter coats. It's been that mild. But if you had to spend the majority of your day outside, you would discover that it's not actually that mild out there. Some of you are maybe upgrading your winter coat this year. Maybe it's just time to replace the one you have. Maybe you want a different style. A new winter coat might be something on your Christmas wish list.

But that winter coat that's getting replaced can still be put to good use. Every year, we hand out winter coats and other winter clothing to men and women who are homeless in Ottawa. We also hand out clothing to people who live in the community who are struggling to make ends meet. If you have to make a choice between a winter jacket or heating your home, you're going to go without a winter jacket. Our clothing program helps homeless people and others living in poverty get the clothing they need.

So if you have a winter coat you would like to donate, please drop by 233 Murray Street. We have a drop-off window at the back of our parking lot. We have staff here who would love to meet you and accept your donation.

For more information on how to donate, please visit our donation page.

Thank you Ottawa Lions of Judah

I had such a wonderful time this morning when the ladies of Ottawa Lions of Judah stopped by to donate a painting to hang in one of the lounges in the women's shelter. (The Ottawa Lions of Judah is a division of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa Women, a group of women engaged in leadership and philanthropy.)

About 25 women had a hand in creating this striking work of art when they were led by local artist Katherine Jeans. The women each painted their own masterpiece to take home but also contributed to two large communal canvasses with the theme of Peace and Cooperation.

The two pieces had been on display at the Jewish Community Centre for several months. A couple of weeks ago I got a call asking if we would accept one of the canvasses as a donation. I didn't hesitate.

Living in a shelter is challenging. Everyone benefits from nice, comforting, uplifting surroundings. And this painting is definitely uplifting.

This morning several of the women and Katherine dropped by to visit the lounge and hand over the painting. Thanks to Katherine's ability to hammer a nail into the wall with her shoe, we even managed to get the painting onto the wall.

Very special Christmas cards

When I look at these Christmas cards, it warms my heart. Take a look at these photos. These cards were all made by children who stay at the Holy Family Extended Day program after school.

This is the second year the children have made these cards for us to hand out to the women who live in our shelter and our supportive living facilities.

Thank you so much everyone for working so hard and designing such beautiful cards. I know the women who receive them will really enjoy them.

Christmas can be a very lonely time of the year for the people we care for. Many don't have contact with their families. Christmas for many is just another day on the calendar. But at Shepherds of Good Hope, we want Christmas to be more than just another day on the calendar and this wonderful gift of handmade cards helps us do that.

Great work, everyone!

Encouraging young people to get involved

We're hearing a lot these days about the demographic shift in Canada. For the first time, there are more seniors than there are people 15 and younger, according to a recent story in the Globe and Mail.

There is also a lot of focus on the boomers, who are just starting to hit retirement age. Finally, we have the millennials.

Writing as a long-time fundraiser, boomers and seniors are the people who donate to us most often. It's understandable. If you are a senior or a boomer, chances are you are well established. Your children are out on their own or close to being out on their own. Over the years, you have made choices about what's important to you and where you want to give your donation dollars to. For all of our donors who are seniors or boomers, thank you for helping Shepherds of Good Hope help so many people who are in desperate need in our community. I can't thank you enough for your generosity, especially at this time of year as we get closer to the Christmas holidays.

So where does that leave the millennials? It's understandable that many millennials are still trying to establish themselves, still trying to determine what causes are the most important to them. So this next message is for the millennials.

There are 1,600 men and women who rely on us every day. We offer them food, shelter and clothing. We offer them innovative programs and services to help them realize a life of dignity. We find them homes in supportive living where they can live more independently while still receiving 24/7 care and support from our employees.

But don't take my word for it. Call me and ask for a tour. I would love to arrange for you an opportunity to see firsthand how your donation dollars impact so many people. We also have many volunteer opportunities. Did you know that Shepherds of Good Hope relies on the work of more than 400 volunteers? You can be a part of our volunteer family. We hope by becoming on a tour or by volunteering, you'll choose to support our work.

Some of you younger millennials might be wondering, can I really make a difference. The answer is a resounding yes and that's why I'm reaching out to you. If you would like a tour, contact me by email at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com.
For volunteer opportunities, click here.
To donate, click here.

Students getting a charitable education

One of the fun parts of my job is getting a chance to meet with so many students who come to Shepherds of Good Hope for a tour.

Regular readers of my blog know I'm a big believer in everyone getting a firsthand look at what we do. We're very well known for being a shelter and a soup kitchen. Food and shelter are indeed two very important things Ottawa's most vulnerable men and women need. But we are so much more and over our 32 years, we have moved beyond a soup kitchen.

Typically students come for a tour because they want to do something for us. They want to give back to those most in need, especially as we get closer to the holidays. They visit because they want to see the impact their donation is going to have. Quite often it inspires them to exceed their original goal.

Depending on the size of the class, students get a tour of the soup kitchen, the food and grocery program and we also give a short presentation on our other services.

This morning students from Pierre Savard School and Immaculata High School were here. Thank you so much everyone for coming out.

Checking out a charity at the check-out

You've all seen them. Donation cans at the checkout counter. Or just as you're getting ready to pay, the cashier asks if you would like to donate $2 to a charity.

There has been some debate on how effective these strategies are to raising money. Some people argue that it's become all too common for stores to be supporting one cause or another and that shoppers are getting tired of always being asked.

So as a fundraising expert, I found it interesting to read about a recent study in New York conducted by Good Scout Group. They surveyed a little more than 3,000 Americans. The findings? Most people enjoy donating to a charitable cause at the cash register. The survey found that 71 percent of respondents have donated this way at least once. As important as donations are, there's another benefit to checkout donations. Awareness. Almost half of the people questioned said they remembered the last charity they supported at a checkout.

I still believe, though, that any person who wants to become a regular giver to charity is better off finding a charity they can invest in over the longterm. Take Shepherds of Good Hope, for example.

By becoming a monthly donor, you provide stability and predictability for us. Over time, you'll start to see the impact your donation has on Ottawa's homeless population. We're also big believers in showing people firsthand how their donations help others. It's why we always say yes when someone wants a tour of the soup kitchen, our food and grocery program, and the shelter. You also get a tax receipt.

There's nothing wrong with adding a couple of bucks to your bill at the checkout for a charity. Some of you have no doubt seen the Souper Jazz donation cans at different retail locations in the city. We appreciate all the fundraising Souper Jazz does for us with those donation cans.

But if you want to develop a relationship with the charity of your choice, then becoming a monthly donor is the better route. For example, let's say you donate $2 once a week at the checkout. That's $8 a month. Did you know that when you become a monthly donor you can donate that same $8 every month to Shepherds of Good Hope? Monthly donations are possible for everyone. We've built our donation page so that you can pick the amount you're comfortable with. Take a look.

If you have any questions about what we do at Shepherds of Good Hope or how you can help us on a regular basis, please don't hesitate to contact me at 613-789-8210, ext. 247 or by email at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com.

Couture for a Cause

I had the wonderful pleasure last night of attending and speaking at Couture for a Cause, a fundraiser for Shepherds of Good Hope.

The focus was on women's special care unit. A lot of people are surprised when I tell them we are the only homeless shelter that houses both men and women. Every program and service we offer -- managed alcohol program, worker program, transitional emergency shelter program, enhanced support program, soup kitchen, clothing program, etc., -- are offered equally to both men and women. The second thing that often surprises people is the depth and breadth of programs and services we offer. We're best known for the shelter and the soup kitchen but we do so much more.

We have one program that is geared to women only. The women's special care unit provides 16 beds to women who are dealing with complex health issues and/or addition issues. We help them with those challenges and case workers work with them to help develop life skills that will serve them well when they leave the shelter.

We also have 60 beds in the shelter for women and Brigid's Place, a housing first facility, has 11 rooms for women.

Last night's event was an opportunity to talk about the programs and services we offer to women in our care. Thank you to everyone who organized the event which included dinner, a fashion show and a silent auction.

Your support helps us ensure no women is turned away. It allows us to help them build a life of dignity. Thank you.

If you would like to know more about the services we offer to women, please click here. To help women who are homeless, please click here.

Socks from Mountaingoat Yoga

I'm sitting in my office which feels a bit like an oven right now. I appreciate the mild weather but I know winter is just around the corner no matter what the thermometer says.

The good folks at Mountaingoat Yoga Centre know it, too. They recently had a sock and underwear drive, Thank you so much. I've blogged about it before but socks and underwear are just some of the items we need all time.

Socks are especially important during the winter months. Once winter arrives, we set up a box of socks near our soup kitchen doors so that anyone can have easy access to dry and warm socks.

Even in the winter, a lot of homeless people will still spend a good part of their day outside. It doesn't take long for socks to get wet. Keeping your feet warm and dry are very important. It's not just a nice feeling. It's a health issue. So thank you Mountaingoat Yoga Centre for the donation.

Remembrance Day ceremony at Hope Living

On Tuesday I had the honour to attend an early Remembrance Day ceremony at Hope Living in Kanata. The members of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 638, conducted the ceremony.

We have two vets who live at Hope Living, our supportive living facility in Kanata. It was a very respectful ceremony and I know those in attendance appreciated it.

The afternoon was also an opportunity for the Royal Canadian Legion to attach its leaf to our Tree of Hope campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise funds to help support a $500,000 upgrade of the building. Thank you for your donation.

You've got (snail) mail

I thought I would share with everyone a little insight into the fundraising business.

In another week, we'll be sending out letters to people who have donated to Shepherds of Good Hope. With all the technology we have at our disposal, you might wonder: Does snail mail and old fashion letters still connect with people? The answer is a resounding yes!

That doesn't mean we don't focus on the opportunities new technology provides us with. During the last five months, we've made a stronger effort to be on Facebook daily, to tweet something interesting each day. We provide new content for our website and we have an Instagram account. Because technology evolves, the method in which we use these new platforms is also evolving.

But that doesn't mean a hard copy of a letter has lost its place with the people who support us. In fact, there was an interesting story in the Toronto Star today that says the brain responds differently to print mail than it does to digital "mail." One reason is the sensation of touch when you hold that letter in your hands. The other is that when people read something online, there are a lot of other things happening on the screen, whether it's a smartphone screen, tablet or computer. You're more likely to focus better when just looking at a letter in your hands.

This idea of focus is gaining traction. There have also been several stories recently about how reading a print book for you is better than reading an e-book. Studies are starting to show that a print book allows you to focus more. You're less likely to scan a page the same way you scan a screen. When reading a print book, nothing else screams for your attention. There are no pop-up alerts or sounds to distract you.

So, it seems the world of print still has some value, which means sending letters to people who see our work as important and want to help us care for Ottawa's homeless men and women still has value.

To all of you who will be opening those letters in a week, thank you for taking the time to read them. Thank you for taking time to read about the people we serve. If you are one of our supporters who likes to follow us online, visit our website to read more about our clients and our programs. If you would like to make a donation, please click here.

We asked, you delivered

Last week we posted on Facebook asking for donations of sheets and blankets. When it comes to social media, we're careful not to over-ask. We want you to follow us on social media to discover interesting stories about us and issues surrounding homelessness. But now and again, the need is great and we ask for your support.

First, I was blown away by the number of people who saw the post and the number of people who shared it. We had several comments from people indicating they wanted to donate sheets and blankets. Some even offered to pick up the donations. That's what you call Facebook friends working together. That's a community pulling together for the greater good and it was so heartwarming to read the back and forth.

Then on Friday morning we got a call from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. Someone had read the post and the hotel donated 25 boxes of sheets, blankets and duvets. Wow! Thank you so much. This is amazing! Sometimes when you need something, you just have to ask. We love the support the community is showing us.

It's important to remember the people who are benefiting. Shepherds of Good Hope cares for some of the most in-need men and women in Ottawa. We are the only shelter that houses both men and women at night and we have more than 250 beds in our shelter.

Thanks to everyone who donated. And a special thank you to the Chateau Laurier.

Halloween at Shepherds of Good Hope

On Halloween, we always make an effort to ensure we have some candy to give out to the clients. Some of our staff will dress up and make the rounds to deliver candy. We also get a fair number of people donating candy to us after Halloween. Thank you so much. We look forward to those donations.

Today, a group from Foreign Affairs, including George Wieringa,Deputy Director, Operations, Strategic Planning and Operations Division, Latin America and Caribbean, dropped by the soup Kitchen at 233 Murray St. with several bags of candy for us to hand out tomorrow. Thank you so much everyone. I hope everyone has a great Halloween.

Looking for sheets and blankets

We had great response yesterday to our Facebook post about sheets and blankets. Basically, we're hoping there are people out there who can donate sheets and blankets to us.

Although we do run everything through the laundry, nothing lasts forever and there are times when you need to replace certain items. Sheets and blankets are important because they help us provide one of the most basic needs for homeless men and women -- shelter.

There's more to providing a bed than just ensuring there is a mattress. Every bed needs clean sheets each day and we need blankets.

If you're able to help, please call me at 613-789-8210, ext. 247. If you need someone to pick up your donation, please call Dan at 613-789-8210, ext. 240.

Thanks to our Facebook friends who have committed to making a donation.

Businesses that do their part

I think it's great that I have several opportunities a week to blog about local businesses that do their part of help Shepherds of Good Hope. Whether it's coming down for a volunteer session, organizing a food drive or collecting money for allowing people to wear jeans during the workday, it all goes to helping us care for the men and women who come through our doors every day.

Recently, Royal Lepage Team Reality, owned by Kent and Gail Browne, had a party for the clients. When it was over, they had a lot of food left. So they turned to us. We didn't hesitate to accept their donation. With November just around the corner, the planning has already started for a lot of local businesses to have holiday or Christmas lunches, parties, events and so on. If you find you've ordered too much, you don't have to throw it out. We can use that food. If you had it catered, your food likely came on trays with plastic wrap or some sort of covering. Just pack it up and bring it to Shepherds of Good Hope.

For Kent and Gail, not only did they serve their clients with some great food, but they also ensured some of Ottawa's less fortunate people also got to enjoy a nice meal. Thank you!

I'm getting to know a lot of people at MaxSys. Every month, someone from their office drops by to donate the proceeds of their jeans day. This week it was Stephanie Csizmadi. This is the third month in a row company representatives have popped in and we love seeing you every time. Keep up the great fundraising work.

I've used MaxSys before as an example of how easy it is for your office or department to raise funds for some of Ottawa's most vulnerable people. At MaxSys, each division across Canada is invited to participate in jeans day. To wear jeans to the office, you have to contribute $5 to that division's charity fund. Company President Bryan Brulotte then matches the donation. See how easy that is? And it does so much good to help the clients at Shepherds of Good Hope.

Clients get a special meal

The men and women who come to our soup kitchen never complain. They're thankful for a meal. But even though they're grateful, it's still nice when we can serve them something different than usual. Today, thanks to a donation from Creative Kosher, we were able to serve trout.

I was in the soup kitchen when the first clients walked in and the look on their faces when they saw what we were serving almost brought tears to my eyes. These are some of Ottawa's most vulnerable men and women. I'd love to be able to serve them meals like this every day. Take a look at these photos.