Have fun for a good cause

Last week I had a reunion and I hosted it at my home. It was great to catch up with so many people. Everyone brought the usual stuff ... food and drinks. We had taco chips, bean salads, pasta dishes, desserts and so much more.

It was a lot of fun and we spent the evening catching up and reminiscing. But we also turned that fun time into a good cause. Everyone brought something to donate to Shepherds of Good Hope. It wasn't hard. We all have an item or two in our closets that we no longer use or perhaps doesn't fit any more.

By the time I packed it all up, my trunk was full. I can tell you that not one item will go to waste. That's how great the need is. Twice a week, we run a grocery and clothing program. There's always a line-up out the door. We get two different groups of people. There are our clients who are living in our shelter or one of our supportive living facilities. And then there are people who live in Lowertown who need our help to fill out their cupboards or who need a little bit more clothing.

There are some items that always go quickly -- toiletries, tooth brushes are two examples. But as we get ready for the warmer weather, we also need sneakers and summer clothing.

So what can you do? Here are some ideas. Maybe you're hosting a weekend barbecue for your friends. Ask them to bring one article of clothing. Maybe the family reunion is being held at your house this summer. Bring your leftover food to our soup kitchen.

Adding a charity element to your fun event will make everyone feel better.

Dragon Boat Festival raises funds for charity

It was another great year for the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival. And that means five great local charities are going to get some significant funds to help their clients.

I want to thank the organizers for selecting Shepherds of Good Hope as one of the five charities. This is our second year as part of the festival. Our volunteers were out there Friday night and the weekend to serve food at the VIP area. We were also taking lots of photos Friday night when the event kicked off.

Events like the Dragon Boat Festival are a great way to have fun and to participate for a good cause. It's a free event and after the races were finished, throngs of people sat on the grassy hill to the left of the stage to take in the great bands each night.

Congratulations to everyone!

Another barbecue in the books

It was another successful barbecue for Hope Living in Kanata. The supportive living facility was celebrating its second anniversary.

Although there was some rain in the morning, it cleared up in time for the cooks to do their thing. Not only were there lots of hot dogs and hamburgers to go around, we also had tables of salads and sweets. It was a really good turnout with the dining room full. It was also nice to see some of our regular supporters visit. 

Here are a few photos from the event. Up next is the client barbecue on July 8.

Managing alcohol

Last week, Shepherds of Good Hope had a visitor.

Arthur Williams, an MD with the division of substance abuse, Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, was getting the grand tour through our main building on King Edward, and a visit at The Oaks on Merivale.

We're going to have a story later this week on our website about his visit, so I won't give it all way, but let's just say he was impressed, especially when he got the details on The Oaks.

The Oaks is a supportive living complex made up of two apartment buildings on Merivale. The residents come from Shepherds, Ottawa Inner City Health and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Many of the people living there are part of MAP - managed alcohol program. Whenever I explain what MAP is, people are astounded. Basically, it's a program for men and women who are chronically homeless and severely addicted to alcohol. We don't start off with the premise that they need to get off alcohol. We have the supports in place that if they eventually want to get to that point, we can help them. But think of those three words - managed alcohol program. That's right, we manage their alcohol intake.

We manage their alcohol intake by giving them a small drink every hour. Not everyone gets the same amount. It depends on their current health situation, their weight, their tolerance, etc. When it's time to get a drink, everyone lines up and staff carefully measure out each person's alcohol one by one. By managing their alcohol intake, the clients are healthier. They can stick around in the common room, have a sandwich, socialize or they can go back to their apartment.

Arthur was quite impressed and noted he didn't know of a similar program anywhere in the U.S. As a researcher, these were the type of innovative programs he was looking at. Not only do they help the homeless who have chronic addictions, they also are cost efficient.

If you would like a tour of one of our innovative programs, just e-mail me.

Another school year is almost over

It's hard to believe we're almost at the end of June. For a lot of Ottawa students, it can't some soon enough. This week will mark the last official week of school for many.

I want to wish everyone a safe and fun-filled summer. During the year, we get hundreds of students in dozens of schools who help us out. Some run food drives, others make sandwiches, groups come to the kitchen to help us prep the noon meal. Recently we had an elementary school raise more than $1,200 for us.

When you're in school, it's not always obvious as to why getting a solid education is important. You'll understand it one day. But there's more to education than classes and textbooks. When schools make the decision to get their students involved in fundraising or volunteerism, they're not just creating a good student. They're creating a well-rounded person who will hopefully continue with the spirit of giving when they become an adult.

I believe part of being a responsible person is giving back to help those people who have so little. One of our most important jobs is to look after one another. Naturally our families are most important to us. They are the ones we want to look after. But we must never forget those vulnerable people who don't get the help they need. They need our help, too.

Who is there to help those people? The Shepherds of Good Hope is there but organizations like ours cannot do it alone. We need volunteers, we need people to donate. And that's why it's so important that students get exposed to volunteerism, so that one day they will carry on the responsibility of looking after those who have so little.

For those of you graduating this year, I wish you the best. For those of you who are back in class in two months (yes, two months!), I look forward to connecting with you again. Your generosity always inspires me.

Another step for TESP

A lot of our Facebook friends have found our latest posting interesting. So do we.

A lot of you might not have known that Shepherds of Good Hope runs a program called TESP, transitional emergency shelter program. The best way to describe it is that it's a clinic on the first floor of our shelter building. There are 49 beds and they're set aside for homeless people who come in suffering from serious medical distress.

Quite often in the past, the clients were dropped off by Ottawa Police or Ottawa Paramedics. The challenge for the paramedics was that they weren't allowed to bring patients here directly. They could treat and transport the patient to a hospital emergency room. But they just couldn't drop the patient off and leave. They had to wait with the patient until they could make the official transfer to hospital staff. Depending on how busy the ER room was, they could end up waiting hours.

Eventually the patient would be looked at and in a lot of cases transferred to Shepherds. But starting this week, paramedics can now bring these people to Shepherds without going to the hospital first. The obvious advantages are that paramedics aren't tied up at the hospital. After they drop the patient off at Shepherds, they can get back on the road to answer more calls.

There's also a huge benefit for the client. First of all, the health care we're delivering to the client is geared to meet their specific needs. With our partners Ottawa Inner City Health, the ROH, the Ottawa Hospital, VON and others, the people brought in have immediate access to nurses, a psychiatric nurse and case workers. A lot of these people are seen multiple times. But by getting dropped off at Shepherds, they develop a rapport or a bond with the staff. The other role we play is that once the person's health is stabilized, we can offer them support services, housing options, etc.

A lot of people who have come through the program in the last two years have been successfully transitioned out of the shelter system.

Folks, the hospitals do a great job, but there's no way they can deliver this sort of care and support services from an ER.

Oh, and for those of you who might be wondering about cost, we expect this week's change to save the health care system about $2 million a year. We used very conservative costs to come up with that number. If anyone needed evidence that we do more than operate a soup kitchen and a shelter, TESP is it.

Hope Living anniversary barbecue

What a beautiful day it turned out to be. Okay, the temperature didn't get up to the level beach lovers want. But the skies were clear, the humidity was low and it was a great day for a barbecue. Unfortunately, I didn't bring a barbecue to work with me.

That won't be a problem next Tuesday when Hope Living celebrates its anniversary with a barbecue. Hope Living is a supportive living facility located on Castlefrank Rd. in Kanata. It's our newest complex. There are 99 beds and it's located across the street from a park in a quiet suburban neighbourhood. It's an ideal place for clients who want to get away from the hustle, bustle and noise of the Byward Market.

The barbecue is scheduled for next Tuesday. If you're in the Kanata neighbourhood, drop by and say hello.

Housing first and supportive living

I hope everyone caught Alison Sandor's piece on the 10th anniversary of St. Andrew's Residence.

It's a great story that illustrates why any housing first strategy has to have a supportive living component.

Housing First is a great slogan. It's easy to understand and to rally behind. But folks, the majority of people who are living on the streets or living in a shelter are homeless for a lot of complex reasons. Yes, there are some men and women who need the use of a shelter bed for a couple of days. They have a job but are in between paycheques or have no one to live with for a few days while they waited to take possession of their new apartment. These people are capable of independent living but have fallen on hard times. It's likely temporary but we're here for those people.

There is another significant group of men and women who are more than temporarily out of a home. They suffer from mental illness, they struggle with addictions, they don't have the basic life skills you and I take for granted. They need regular medical care and support.

Not only does Shepherds of Good Hope provide them with a bed, but when they're ready, we move them to supportive housing facilities like St. Andrew's. They get their own apartment. They can cook for themselves. They're part of the tenants association. Maybe they've joined the reading club or maybe they have a green thumb and can work some magic in the garden.

Staff from Shepherds of Good Hope are on site 24/7 if the resident need help. And often, they do. That's what's called supportive living.

Shepherds of Good Hope also has a Housing First complex. Brigid's Place is home to 11 women who came from street life. Many of them weren't in shelter system. But again, we do more than house them. The women have access to a multitude of support services and activities. And we allow them to stay there as long as needed. If one day, they want to try more independent living, we're there to give them that support.

As the discussion continues about Housing First strategies, I hope the debate will also include the support services many of these vulnerable men and women need.

2014 Homelessness Report

For the last several years, the Alliance to end Homelessness has released a report on the state of homelessness in the capital.

There was good news and bad news. The good news is that fewer people needed to rely on an emergency shelter last year, although it was only a slight drop. But a drop, nevertheless. The bad news is that those who needed an emergency shelter bed needed it for a longer period of time.

The other piece of news in the report that stuck out for me was the number of families who had to rely on an emergency shelter. More than 700 families in 2014 needed the services of an emergency shelter. Ottawa is often thought of being an affluent city. I won't argue with that. But regardless how strong employment is in a city or how well off the residents are, there are always people who will slip through the cracks. It's a cliche but it's true.

Shepherds of Good Hope knows that one of the answers is to provide more affordable housing, but just as importantly, more supportive housing. Not everyone is equipped for affordable housing. Yes, it gives them shelter, but for the people who have been chronically homeless, they need other supports. They need help with their health issues, addictions. They need coping mechanisms for the abuse they suffered in the past. They need simple life skills, like how to cook, how to shop for groceries, and just as importantly, how to interact in daily situations that we take for granted.

That's why Shepherds runs four different supportive housing facilities -- Brigid's Place, Hope Living, St. Andrew's Residence and The Oaks. They don't all serve the same type of client but what they all have in common is a mix of services that keep them off the streets and offer hope that one day they might move to more independent living.

St. Martin de Porres students shine

I have to tell you about such a wonderful visit I had today at St. Martin de Porres School in Kanata. The JK to Grade 6 school had raised money for Shepherds of Good Hope during Lent and I was there to present a certificate to them and to receive the cheque.

All the children came down to the gymnasium and sat on the floor. Everyone was so kind and interested in learning a little more about us. It was a very excited group. When I asked them questions about their fundraising efforts, dozens of hands shot up. Every one of them is proud of what they accomplished and so they should be.

During Lent, the school had wacky Thursdays. Each week was a different theme. One Thursday was hat day, another was fancy dress day. To participate, the students were asked to bring a loonie or less to class. When Lent was finished, the 370 students had raised more than $1,200.

Teachers play such an important role in our children's lives. Think about it. With the exception of their parents, a child will spend more time with a teacher from age 5 to 17 than anyone else. For teachers to also inspire students to give and to think about others is wonderful. It's nice that we benefited, but it's even more encouraging that these children are being taught that we all have a responsibility to help those who are in times of distress, who don't always have the tools to look after themselves or their families.

A big thank you to St. Martin de Porres students for your generosity.

Barbecue fun

We had a great turnout for the 10th anniversary barbecue for St. Andrew's Residence. All the clients turned out and we also had residents from The Oaks drop by. We also had some neighbourhood residents and some special guests come help us celebrate.

Somehow I ended up on cooking duties. But I had fun. We had burgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers, and lots of chips and pop. Thank you to all the people who turned out and to the people who donated the goods to make this happen.

Barbecues are meant to be fun. But they also send a bigger message. A message that we are a community, a community that helps others, a community that looks out for each other. A barbecue on a nice summer day is just a fun, relaxing way to get together. When I speak to the residents, some of whom I don't get to see that often, it just further drives home why I do what I do.

The great news is that this is just the first. Next month we have our big barbecue for our clients. Stay tuned for more details.

Happy Anniversary St. Andrew's

Tomorrow is a special day for St. Andrew's Residence. It will mark 10 years since the supportive living complex opened.

It's an apartment building run by Shepherds of Good Hope for people with mental health issues or addictions but who are capable of living more independently. Staff operate there on an as-needs basis. When St. Andrew's first opened, there was some community concern over how well everyone might get along.

But over the years, residents have integrated well into the community. They have an active tenants association, they grow a beautiful garden every year (it even won an award), they put on art shows in the parking lot and so much more.

When we have our barbecue Thursday, without a doubt we'll be seeing some friendly faces from around the neighbourhood.

Without supportive living programs like St. Andrew's, some of the people living there would end up in the homeless shelter. In fact, that's where some of them started. But all they really needed was just a little help. St. Andrew's does that.

If you're in the neighbourhood, drop by. The barbecue runs from 1 to 3 p.m. at 208 St. Andrews. Help us celebrate 10 years of supportive living.

Solving homelessness

Wow. We posted a story on our Facebook site earlier this week and it has reached more than 1,100 people. It's clear the story is resonating with you. It's about how the city of Victoria is considering micro-housing as a way to reduce homelessness.

During the last year, there has been a lot of discussion about solving homelessness. The latest strategy that has caught people's attention is often referred to as housing first. The idea is you can eliminate homelessness by putting everyone who is homeless into their own home. Maybe it's a rooming house, maybe it's subsidized apartments, maybe it's micro-units.

Last year, during his campaign, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson pledged an extra $2 million to fight homelessness and increase affordable housing. He told the Ottawa Citizen he would like to reduce emergency shelter use by 15 per cent during the next five years.

I applaud those efforts and it's encouraging to see a renewed focus on reducing homelessness.

However, anyone who works with the homeless knows that simply providing a home isn't always enough. Without a doubt, having shelter is the first step to stability. That's why we have supportive living homes Brigid's Place, St. Andrew's Residence, Hope Living and The Oaks. It's why we do more than just run a shelter for men and women on King Edward St. All of these places do more than just provide a roof over someone's head. Depending on which site you visit, the residents are getting support for mental health issues, they're being seen by medical staff, they're being fed, they're being treated for addictions and more. And we're also giving them the skills that will hopefully allow them to live more independently one day.

I won't get into all of the details in this one blog post. But if you want to read more about our programs and services, you can visit our website.

A piano for The Oaks

Lots of people donate items to us. Most times we're looking for food, clothing, toiletries -- that sort of thing.

It's very rare to get a piano. But that's exactly what we got recently. And it was donated to us by one of our longtime volunteers, Andrew.

It took a few days to find some people who could move the piano for us. It's a little heavier than a crate of food. But a week ago, it finally moved into its new home. It's a great addition for The Oaks. Now we just need someone to play it.

If you would like to volunteer by visiting The Oaks and banging out a few tunes, we would love to hear from you. We know the men and women at The Oaks would enjoy a show. Come on over and tickle the ivories.

To volunteer, check out our volunteer page or you can call Stephanie, our volunteer coordinator, at 613-789-8210, ext. 239.

Growing hope

The women at Brigid's Place are going green. They have a plot in the new community garden at Angel Square, located at 40 Cobourg St., also in Lowertown. The women are going to maintain two plots. One is for vegetables that anyone can help themselves to. The second plot will grow vegetables for the 11 women who live at Brigid's Place.

Community gardens work on so many levels. The obvious is that you can grow food. But think of that word community. In a wired world, we sometimes forget that the most meaningful interaction is face to face. A community garden is another way that allows neighbours to meet, to get to know each other, to chat about their day, to share their lives, to produce something together and then to share it.

For the women, it's a great way to spend an afternoon, tending plants, pulling weeds. And when they put those fresh vegetables on the table for dinner, there will be a sense of satisfaction knowing they grew them, nurtured them. The large planter boxes are easy to get to as they're raised off the ground. We're looking forward to some fresh at harvest time.

If you haven't heard about Brigid's Place before, it's a duplex that has been converted into a single home with room for 11 women. Each resident has their own room and they share a kitchen area, computer and a TV area. They also have a small garden in the back with a deck.

The women who live there have experienced very difficult times and still face a lot of challenges. They might suffer from mental illness, have issues with past trauma or be struggling with addiction. This program has been running since 2009 and it's a first step to providing stability and the skills needed to one day move on to more independent housing.

There are lots of activities for the women and the garden is just the latest example. This Sunday at 2 p.m., the community garden is holding its official opening. There will be cakes and refreshments on the front lawn of the Lowertown Community Resource Centre. In case of rain, the event will be moved to inside the centre. If you live in the neighbourhood, I hope you can attend and show your support for the centre and Brigid's Place.

A special celebration

One of the things I like to remind people about is that Shepherds of Good Hope is more than just a soup kitchen and a men's shelter. No doubt those are two very important programs we provide. It's how we started out all those years ago in 1983. It started by letting someone sleep in the church basement at St. Brigid's Catholic Church and giving him a sandwich.

When you take a look at where we are today, it's astounding. We have numerous facilities across the city and we run many programs for men and women. But there is a special anniversary coming up soon for one of our locations.

Next week, St. Andrew's Residence will be celebrating 10 years. It's an apartment where people with mental illness, addictions or other disorders can live more independently. Staff are there to help them gain new skills on an as-needed basis. Throughout the month, the residents can access a number of activities. They have a reading club, bingo, yoga, a walking club and much more.

I'll have more details in the coming days about how we're going to celebrate and about the people who benefit from St. Andrew's Residence.

From the garden

Last week, I blogged about how many readers enjoyed the story about France banning unsold food. In case you missed it, France is going to force large supermarkets to donate their food to charities. The story has been getting lots of views on our Facebook page and on Twitter.

Then there are companies who don’t wait for the food to go unsold. Companies like Suntech Greenhouses. I tweeted last week about how during the late spring and summer months they donate tomatoes to us every Thursday.

Our food services coordinator Dan Gardiner got on the truck and made his way to Manotick for the weekly pick-up. He brought back with him more than 1,700 tomatoes.

The men and women who make their way through our soup kitchen seven days a week, sometimes three times a day, really benefit from fresh food. We all do. The kitchen can use the tomatoes to make sauces, a variety of dishes, or just a good ol’ tomato sandwich. Who doesn’t enjoy a tomato sandwich? I can tell you when I take a walk through the dining area, a lot of our clients are enjoying those tomatoes.

The summer months are always a great time to provide more fresh food to our clients who visit out grocery program. Donations like these make that possible. For those of us who have backyard gardens, harvest time is still a ways off. But when the time comes, if you find yourself with too many cucumbers, strong beans, potatoes or any vegetable, we’ll happily take them off your hands.