Ottawa RedBlacks serve lunch

It was a special Friday for the men and women who turned up at the soup kitchen for lunch.

Serving lunch were four Ottawa RedBlacks players. A big thank you to the RedBlacks and to players Brandyn Thompson, Ettore "ET" Lattanzio, Jordan Verdone and Marcus Henry. Marcus' wife Stephanie was also on hand to greet the men and women coming through the door while cheer team member Ana Cruz had her own fan section at one of the tables in the dining room.

This is the second year the Ottawa RedBlacks have visited Shepherds of Good Hope. This is a team that knows the meaning of community and I really appreciate the time they took to be with us on their bye week.

When the clients showed up, they knew it wasn't the regular crew of volunteers. But as the players introduced themselves, people got pretty excited. There were a few Go RedBlacks Go chants. After lunch, they graciously met with some of the clients, signing autographs and having their pictures taken.

From left to right in the back: Anna Silverman, Executive Director of Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation, Mark Sluban, Community Events Specialist Ottawa RedBlacks, Jordan Verdone, Marcus Henry. Seated are Ettore "ET" Lattanzio and Brandyn Thompson

Thank you, Ottawa

It never ceases to amaze me how generous people can be.

Less than two days ago, we started a social media campaign to raise funds to repair our cube van. This is the truck we use to pick up all the food donations from our donors and partners. It's the food we use to feed the 1,600 men and women who rely on our services every day. We also use the truck to deliver food to our other facilities around the city. Having a reliable truck is important.

We decided to reach out to people through social media, mainly Facebook and Twitter. There are a lot of people who engage with us that way and we thought this campaign was something they could get involved in. We started by asking 600 people to donate $10 each. The CBC picked up on it and gave it an additional boost.

Everyone got involved in a big way. It didn't even take two days for us to far exceed our $6,000 goal. I was so touched by the number of people who donated. People took time to call and talk to us. Many of you donated online and left comments about the work we do. Thank you to everyone for those kind words.

Thanks to your generosity, our truck is going to be on the road in days. I want to leave you with one more thought. Today, you did more than just fix a truck. You showed once again you believe in the work we do for the homeless population in Ottawa. You helped ensure we can continue to do our job to feed people, to provide them with three healthy meals a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Yes, you helped fix a truck, but by fixing that truck, you helped the men and women we serve.

Looking for 600 people to help fund truck repairs

When I heard that our large truck was out of commission for repairs, I thought: oh,oh. That truck is the one our food and grocery program workers use every day to travel the city to pick up donations.

We use it to pick up bread, canned goods, staples and meat at various grocery stores. We head out to the far limits of Ottawa to get produce and fruit from Shouldice Farm. Businesses like Shopify that have their own kitchens will donate leftovers to us on a regular basis. Or we might use the truck to pick up a load of donations someone in the community has raised for us.

We also use the truck to make deliveries to our other facilities, like Hope Living in Kanata.

We have a smaller van that we've been using but on some days it means several trips back and forth so that we can unload and then head back out on the road.

We're very grateful that Shepherds of Good Hope has people who believe in what we do and donate regularly. Thank you. We would not be able to serve 1,600 men and women if not for the kind people who send us money or goods.

Going out on social media to raise funds for a specific project is not something we do often. We gave it serious thought. We settled on this idea because we think it's doable. By keeping the requested donation low and spread out among a large group, we're counting on 600 people to dig into their pockets and make that $10 donation online.

Fixing the truck is a necessity. We can't do our jobs without it. When we get to 600 people, we'll know we have enough donations to cover off the costs of the repairs. Please donate by visiting our truck campaign fund.

Kim's inspiring story

Today, on our website, we tell the inspiring story of Kim, one of the 11 women who live at Brigid's Place Transitional Housing for Women.

Shepherds of Good Hope runs four different supportive living facilities across the city. Brigid's Place is a little different in that it's based more on a housing first model.

Located in Lowertown, it's a former duplex that has been converted to a single home. We have 11 women living there. Although we provide support services, the women live fairly independent lives. Many of the women who come to Brigid's Place are from the streets or the homeless shelter.

They ended up on the streets or in the shelter for a variety of reasons. They might have come from abusive homes. Some suffer from mental issues and/or addictions. We're there to help them, but just as importantly, to provide them with a safe home. We believe that in order for these women to be able to turn their lives around, they must have stable housing first.

Brigid's Place runs a like a collective. All of the women are invited to take part in all the decisions made at Brigid's Place. For many, it's the first safe home they have had in years, In addition to their own rooms, they also have shared common areas where they can cook, watch TV or use a computer. They have a community garden to look after and they can do things together as a group. Earlier, this month, the women made a day-trip to the beach.

Without Brigid's Place, a lot of these women would have nowhere else to turn. Please take time to read Kim's story. 

If you would like to know more about the programs and services we offer to women, please don't hesitate to contact me. 613-789-8210, ext. 247 or asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com. To make a donation, please visit our donation page.

The more you know ...

One of the reasons I like to blog is I love having the opportunity to share with you every day the work we do at Shepherds of Good Hope. And for regular readers, you know that I often like to end my daily blog with a shared link to one of our programs or with a request to donate.

I believe, though, that if I'm going to ask you for your hard-earned money or your valuable time, then you should have a clear idea of what we do, who we help and how you can join us.

Recently, I recently came across a report by the Association of Fundraising Professionals - Canada. Well, it turns out that most people who donate do it because they that want to know a charity does good work.

Eight-three per cent of people who were surveyed said the needed to know a charity's purpose before they would donate and 79 per cent said it's important for them to know if their donation is making an impact.

I don't believe the onus is all on you to find out what we do. Yes, you're welcomed to check out our website any time. Please, do. In fact, you should check it out often as we try to post a few new stories every week about the people we help or the people who help us. For example, a lot of you have been interested in the story about six-year-old Charlie and his blessing bags.

But we also want to reach out to you. This blog is one way. We're also there on Facebook and Twitter and we're constantly looking at other social media platforms that will help you learn more about what we do. We also send out a monthly newsletter that you can sign up for on our homepage. If you want to see firsthand what we do, call me (613-789-8210, ext. 247) for a tour and we'll be more than happy to take you to where we serve the men and women who rely on us every day.

We do all of this to ensure that you know the impact your donation is having on Ottawa's most vulnerable men and women. Please take time to learn more about us. We would be so grateful to have your help.

Praise for Charlie

Yesterday, I blogged about a little boy, Charlie, who came to our offices to talk about the blessing bags he handed out to homeless people earlier in the morning.

He was in Ottawa with his family and after spending most of his morning looking for homeless people, he then came to Shepherds of Good hope to give us some money he had raised with a lemonade stand. We also posted the story on Facebook and the response was overwhelming.

I want to thank all of our friends on Facebook who left such nice messages for Charlie and who shared the story with their friends. That's how we spread the news about the good work people like Charlie do for Shepherds of Good Hope.

I want to share with you some of the comments left for Charlie.

"Wow, what a great job. You are wonderful people. A Blessing from God. Your family must be proud of you both. Charlie, you are an example of what the world needs more of. Compassion and kindness, Your deeds speak loudly of the type of person you are. Our country would do well in the future with you as Prime Minister or in another position of power, for the people."

"Very good young man ... That was awesome!!!!"

"Love it! What an awesome young man! Maybe others will learn from his open loving heart! Keep on spreading kindness!!"

"Thanks Charlie!! My husband used to live there three years ago. Means a lot to us."

"Charlie, I am sure that all of Renfrew is proud of you."

"That is so inspirational and awesome."

"If this young man is any indication, the future of Canada is in good hands."

  * * *

If you want to read more about Charlie, please check out our Facebook page or the longer story on our website.

Charlie hands out blessings to the homeless

I never get tired of hearing about how people, especially children, decide to help the homeless men and women in our city.

This morning I had the honour of meeting six-year-old Charlie. He's from Renfrew and he came to Ottawa today with his mother and sister.

He had spent last week creating blessing bags. Inside each bag were things like juice, water, food and toothpaste. He also ran a lemonade stand and raised more than $400 which he gave to Shepherds of Good Hope.

Children like Charlie touch my heart. I can't help but think of what a fine person he's growing up to be. I told Charlie that what he did was very special. It's easy to help people you know, but it takes a very special person to help people you don't know, people you will probably never see again.

When I meet children like Charlie, I wonder if they realize how special they are. For them, giving is simple. In this case, Charlie saw a video that sparked the blessing bag idea. He asked his mom if it was okay to put blessing bags together. Today he walked the streets in the downtown looking for homeless people to give the bags to. Later in the afternoon, he went to a trampoline park. Isn't that a great way to spend your day? Help the homeless in the morning, play on a trampoline in the afternoon.

Charlie said handing out the bags made him happy, as it should. Giving always makes you feel better.

Charlie, I hope you have a great summer and I hope to see you again at Shepherds of Good Hope.

If you would like more information on how you can make your own donation to Shepherds of Good Hope, please give me a call at 613-789-8210, Ext. 247 or check out our donate page on our website. 

A good day at the Good Day Workshop

Last week I stopped in at the Good Day Workshop at the Bronson Centre.

Run by Shepherds of Good Hope, the GDW has been around for almost 20 years. It's probably one of Ottawa's best kept secrets. The participants in the program, with the help of volunteers and a couple of staffers, refinish furniture. (They also make wood products but that's for a future blog post).

It might be an old kitchen chair, a wooden desk, a bookshelf or a hutch that someone's grandmother gave them. Whatever it is, it has sentimental value to the people who bring it in. Some of it is in pretty bad shape. Our participants bring it back to life.

When I was there, I saw a little table. It had a beautiful finish. The legs had wonderful detail. It was obvious this was an old table and meant something to someone. Luckily enough, I got to meet the man who owned the table when he showed up to take it home. He was ecstatic at how the table turned out. The table had been in his wife's family for a long time. All the scuffs and scratches had been repaired and the detail in the wood had been cleaned up. It was a night and day transformation.

He admitted he had never heard of GDW until a friend mentioned us. He was impressed not only with the quality of the work, but also with how this type of enterprise helps so many people. He felt good that he was able to get a sentimental piece of furniture refinished, to see it restored to its true beauty, but he also felt good about how GDW helps people who are struggling. Many of the participants don't have easy access to jobs. They might have a physical disability or a mental illness and/or suffer from an addiction.

The philosophy of the program is simple. Every day for each participant should be a good day. What I saw that day left not doubt that it was a good day for everyone.

But we do need help. We are looking for volunteers who have wood working experience. If you're interested, or you know someone who has those skills, please contact us. If you want to know more about the Good Day Workshop, please visit the program page. You can also reach me at 613-789-8210, Ext. 247 or at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com.

Here are some photos from the Good Day Workshop.

Dancing for a good cause

On Saturday I had the honour to attend a dance repertoire of Bharat Natyam. The event, presented by Jeevam Jyoti Productions, was held at the Kailash Mittal Theatre at Carleton University. The dance company is from California and they are travelling to different cities.

It was a wonderful evening and Keshav Goel, one of the young people involved in the event, raised $3,7450 for Shepherds of Good Hope. Thank you so much. We appreciate all the hard work everyone put in to ensure the event was a success.

Before the dance began, I had a chance to talk to the audience about the work we do at Shepherds of Good Hope. I spoke briefly to the audience after showing them a video about our organization. I also had the chance to award some certificates to people who regularly volunteer at Shepherds of Good Hope. We rely on hundreds of volunteers to help us provide services to some of the most in-need men and women in Ottawa.

Finally, thank you to Ottawa Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi for his last-minute sweetening of the fundraising pot. It was great to see the MPP there and to have his support.

The work behind getting a job

In our latest e-newsletter, I shared a story about a client who went through our Worker's Program. It's so inspiring that I wanted to share it here.

For those of you who haven't had a chance to read the story, it's about Gilles, who became homeless after losing his job and his home. He made his way to Ottawa and he landed at Shepherds of Good Hope. He made it clear from day one that he wanted to find work.

We run a program in our main shelter building called the Worker's Program. Working with a case manager, Gilles was able to access one of two computers in the lounge. Providing two computers might seem so simple, but it's hard these days to find a job without computer or Internet access.

We also worked with him to update his resume and how to search for jobs on the Internet, to mine those local opportunities.

After 10, days, he found work, although he was still living in the shelter. But thanks to the Worker's Program, he had access to a bed in between shifts. Normally, the men and women who stay at our shelter overnight have to leave during the day. Many will stay close by and take their meals in our soup kitchen. But our staff needs to have people out of the sleeping area so that we can clean up. But for people in the Worker's Program, we recognize that they might be on shift work, they might have a job that ends late at night or goes overnight. These people need to have a safe and quiet place to sleep.

We also make sure they can get to and from work by providing assistance with public transit. On his days off, Gilles could use the computers to look for a place to live. Eventually he found a place and we connected him with a City of Ottawa service that provided him with some assistance in coming up with first and last month's rent.

After all was said and done, Gilles went from living in a shelter to living in his own place with a job in five weeks.

Not everyone can follow the same path as Gilles. Many of our clients suffer from mental health issues and/or addictions. Homeless people come from all backgrounds and different circumstances. That's why we do more than provide shelter and food. We all need those. But we recognized a long time ago that we need to develop programming that can be tailored to an individual's needs. We need to help people based on where they are now.

In Gilles case, despite being homeless or near homeless for many years, he was at a spot where we could offer him shelter and food. And something more. We could offer him help realizing his goal of finding a job and his own place to live.

If you would like to help people like Gilles, pleae visit our donation page. If you would like to a tour of our facilities to discover what else we offer, here's how to contact me. 613-789-8210, ext. 247 or asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com.

All the way from down under

We had a special visitor this week all the way from the land down under.

Kate Dolan is a professor and researcher with the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of South Wales. She is travelling across Canada and the U.S. to research managed alcohol programs.

The best way to think of MAP is to see it as a harm reduction program. Men and women who have severe chronic alcoholism make up the program. They have a dedicated spot at Shepherds of Good Hope on the second floor. It's where they sleep. It's where they can socialize with other members of the program.

Each day they get a drink every hour on the half hour from early morning right into the evening. It's a way to manage their alcohol intake. So you can see that the title of the program is pretty self explanatory. But before they start the program, they're assessed. The idea is to manage their alcohol in a controlled, medically supervised environment so that their health isn't more negatively impacted than what it already is from years of excessive drinking. The idea is to reduce harm.

There's another way of looking at MAP. It saves money for the healthcare system. When someone suffers from severe chronic alcoholism, they end up in hospital more often. Their behaviour is more unpredictable. But when they're in MAP, their health is stabilized. It even improves and there are fewer hospital visits.

Some people get hung up on the idea of harm reduction. After all, don't we want to accomplish more than just reduce harm? If the participant is willing, we'll help. But it's not a requirement. Sometimes you have to look at where a person started from in order to truly appreciate where they are today. I can tell you that MAP has turned people's lives around for the better.

When Kate toured our program, she was impressed not only with the harm reduction strategy but with the cost savings to the healthcare system. Kate is one of many researchers/experts who come to Shepherds of Good Hope to study what we do. I hope she returns to Australia with lots of sound ideas on how to help the homeless population there.

If you want to read more about MAP, you can at our programs and services page on our website. I've also provided a link to our donation page if you would like to help the men and women we serve.

Plan on giving with planned giving

A lot of us have good intentions. We want to give to a charity and there are even certain times of the year when we do.

Quite often I'm asked: How can I help Shepherds of Good Hope? One of the easiest ways is to start a planned giving strategy. Thanks to technology, it's easier than ever to set up a monthly donation that helps us do our work. You can become a monthly donor by calling our donor relations department at 613-789-8210, Ext. 225 or you can go online and sign up to be a monthly donor.

But I don't want to leave you with the idea that this is just a pitch for your money. I want to talk about how planned giving is a great way to help us do our work. Let me give you an analogy. Your boss says he's going to pay you a certain salary. But you don't know when you're going to get it. You just know that by the end of the year, it will add up to a certain amount. He might give you the money every two weeks, which is what most of us are use to. He might give it all to you at the end of the year around Christmas, which is when a lot of organizations see an increase in the number of donations they receive. You probably prefer getting a predictable amount every two weeks.

I can't stress enough we appreciate any gift you can give. But if we can count on a regular gift from you that you have planned, it allows us to know with more certainty how much money we have every month to help the most-in-need men and women in Ottawa.

Planned giving has benefits for you, too. You know with certainty how much money you can give monthly. You know that every month you are making a difference in someone's life. You picked the amount to fit in with your budget. Planned giving isn't just for people who can give large gifts. I know one donor who gives us $20 every paycheque. That adds up to more than $500 a year! She tells me it's a lot easier to find $20 a paycheque than it is to find $500 once a year.

If you can give more, that's great. But you can see how much a little donation on a regular basis can add up to.

If you would like more information on all the services we provide, please come for a tour. Send us an email. Connect with us on Facebook. You can reach me at 613-789-8210, Ext. 247 or at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com. We would love the opportunity to show you the impact your planned giving has for the men and women who comes through our doors every day.

Hot weather no treat for homeless

The hot weather we have been experiencing over the last few days is no treat if you're living on the street. In fact, contrary to what many think, the number of homeless people living in shelters does not necessarily go down in the summer. Our numbers are about the same and a Toronto Star story is reporting that demand for shelter services is steady in that city despite the warmer temperatures.

This morning, a colleague and I were talking about how hot it was this weekend. We both agreed the heat was intense, especially downtown where you had the light and heat reflecting off the pavement as well.

So imagine having to live on that street. Yes, a person can find some shade in a park, but can you imagine spending 10 to 12 hours in that heat yesterday?

Thankfully, we have very good frontline staff who know how to help the homeless population when the weather turns this hot. Our story in on the homepage of our website with the headline: Hot weather and the homeless. Please take time to read it.

So is there a way you can help? Absolutely. If you have any summer clothing you would like to donate, please let us know or drop it off at the back door of our building at 233 Murray St. There is no such thing as too little. We'd also graciously accept donations of bottled water. I found a great deal last week at one grocery store. Bottled water was on sale, The price per bottle worked out to less than 20 cents a bottle. I was picking up a case for home so I spent an extra couple of bucks and brought a case into the soup kitchen as well. That's all it takes.

In the meantime, stay cool. The hot weather is here for a few more days.

Client barbecue a huge hit

Our annual client barbecue just keeps getting better every year.

It was a great day. Perfect temperature and by the time the barbecue started, we had lots of shade in the dining area we created on the east side of our parking lot. Volunteers with Enbridge were on hand to take care of all our cooking needs while staff and volunteers served up the food.

Yesterday, we had a special volunteer. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson stopped by and he wasted no time in putting himself to work. He manned the tomato tray and talked to the men and women as they made their way through the line. Thank you, Mayor Watson, for your continued support of Shepherds of Good Hope and the people who rely on our services every day.

By the end of the two-hour event, we had more than 350 people come through the gates. What always touches my heart is how thankful the clients are. These are Ottawa's most vulnerable men and women. They have so little and there is so much more we would like to be able to give them. And yet they are so appreciative of what can provide. Most of us won't think twice about a summer barbecue. It's part of our summer routine. But the men and women at Shepherds of Good Hope recognize it as something more than routine for them. It's an event. And it's one we're proud to put on for them. I can't wait for next year.

A special thank you to Loblaws for the donation of ice cream sticks. Very, very popular. Did I say how popular the ice cream was? VERY!

Again, thank you to all the staff, volunteers, donors and the Mayor, but most importantly, thank you to the clients for making the 2015 Client Barbecue an event to remember.

Cooking for our clients

Like a lot of organizations, summer is a chance to get outside. It's a treat. During the summer months, we hold several anniversary barbecues. But today is a little more special. Today's barbecue is about celebrating the men and women who use our services across all of our facilities. We work with them every day. They come to us from all different backgrounds and are at different points in their lives. This barbecue is about more than just getting outside on a nice day. It's about doing something special for the people who have so little. And we consider ourselves honoured and privileged to do it.

There's no anniversary to celebrate, no new program to mark. It's all about the clients. So instead of coming to 233 Murray Street to line up for the evening meal in the soup kitchen, it will be hamburgers and hotdogs, treats and drinks, music and fellowship.

Mother Nature is cooperating by giving us a warm day, but not too humid, the prefect day for a barbecue. Thank you to everyone who donated food or time to ensure that this will be our most successful barbecue. If you're a donor or would like to simply know more about what we do, stop by. We'll be happy to answer any of your questions.

Tomorrow, I'll share some photos with a recap of the event.

How we help women

There was an article in the Ottawa Sun today about the number of women who rely on shelters.

The people who run the shelters say space is tight and that they are sometimes forced to turn women away. When we think of women's shelters, we most often think of safe places for women to go when they are trying to escape an abusive relationship. It's a sad fact that domestic abuse is still a problem in our country.

When people think of Shepherds of Good Hope, many don't know that we are the only homeless shelter that provides services to both men and women. Every night, there are as many as 100 women in our various programs. Some of those women are escaping a violent relationship and have nowhere else to go. They have a terrible choice. Be homeless or stay in danger. Thankfully, Shepherds is another resource for these women.

For other women, their homelessness is a consequence of other factors. They might be suffering from mental illness and/or dealing with addiction issues. It could be they simply can't find good enough employment to allow them to be on their own in their own homes.

The women come to us from different backgrounds, for different reasons, and with different challenges to address. Our Hope Outreach Emergency Shelter for Women has room for 60 women every night.

In addition to providing a safe bed, we have other services in place. We have TESP (transitional emergency shelter program). The women who are part of this program are chronically homeless and have had severe physical and mental health issues. In TESP, they are cared for by trained health care professionals, counsellors and case management workers.

We also have a dedicated Women's Special Care Unit with 16 beds for women who are suffering from severe health conditions. Sometimes our role is to provide treatment, other times it's to coordinate it with the women's existing health care providers. We also provide assessments and referrals for addiction counselling. We help them with housing and we provide life skills, things like how to keep a room clean, how to shop for groceries, skills we take for granted.

Finally, we have Brigid's Place, a housing first complex. There are 11 women who live there. These women have spent a considerable amount of time living on the street. They did what they had to do to survive. Brigid's Place gives them a safe haven where they can start to take the steps necessary to perhaps one day live more independently. Everyone is different. Everyone goes at their own pace. We set no time limit. The women stay at Brigid's Place for as long as they need us.

If you want to learn more about our women's programs, please check out our program and services page. If you would like a tour on our programs specifically for women, please contact me at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com.

The value of seniors

Last week, I blogged a couple of times about the value of getting young people involved in philanthropy and how one eight-year-old girl collects food and other items for Shepherds of Good Hope.

Today, I want to talk about the other end of the age spectrum -- seniors.

We are blessed to have many volunteers at Shepherds of Good Hope. Our Volunteer Manager Sue Alcott and Volunteer Coordinator Stephanie Brazolot do a fantastic job of finding volunteers, matching them up with the proper services and scheduling them in for our various programs.

We have many seniors who volunteer and it isn't just because they're retired and have the time. That's part of it for some, of course. But seniors simply have more life experience. Those of us who are older know what it's like to fall on hard times now and again. Thankfully, for most of us, hard times didn't mean having to sleep in a shelter or eat in a soup kitchen. But we're smart enough to know that we could have easily been the person on the other side of the serving line in the soup kitchen.

According to research in the U.S., a couple of years ago, senior volunteering is at a 10-year high. And the percentage of volunteers who are seniors has been increasing over the last decade. One in three senior volunteers is over the age of 55. It makes sense. Our largest demographic, the boomers, are starting to enter their golden years.

When we talk to our volunteers, seniors of younger, there are always a few common answers. People simply want to give back. You hear that over and over and yet it's the easiest way to explain why people choose to volunteer. People recognize how fortunate they are and want to do something good in the world for those people who are not so fortunate.

Another common thread is that volunteering is rewarding, it can be fun, and you meet people who obviously share the same concerns, the same will to make a difference.

Every day when I walk into our main building, I see seniors doing their part. Without them, it would be a lot more difficult for us to deliver the services to Ottawa's most vulnerable men and women.

If you would like to know more about our volunteer opportunities, check out our volunteer page. Not only are current volunteer needs listed, but you'll also find some handy contact information.

The spirit of giving

Yesterday I blogged about how parents can get their children involved in helping charities.

Today, I had the pleasure of meeting an eight-year-old girl who doesn't need to be taught the spirit of giving.

Hayley spent the last few weeks and the first week of her summer vacation collecting goods and food for Shepherds of Good Hope. She did it by reaching out to her neighbours and area businesses where she lives.

Today, she delivered dozens of bags of clothing as well as cases of food; things like soup, coffee and bottled water.

Hayley is a special girl. Even though she's only eight, she knows there are people in our community who are going without what you and I take for granted. And so she wants to make a difference.

Hayley raised so much that we had to send out one of bigger trucks in order to get it all back to the shelter.

Hayley and her family then stopped by so that we could give them a tour of our soup kitchen and the food/grocery program.

It touches my heart when children want to help us out - either on their own or as part of their class at school.

There's a saying that society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate. (There are quite a few variations of this saying).

Well, let me just say, with children like Hayley, our society has a bright future.

Young people and charity

Here's an interesting fact. A study in the U.S. revealed that millennials are interested in philanthropy. In fact, they are often more engaged than their parents. The popular stereotype of millennials is that they are lazy, entitled or self-centered. I've seen firsthand that it's not true.

It's true the job market is tougher for millennials than it was for their parents. Depending on what city they're from, home ownership is more out of reach. But for those who want to give something back, they often tend to be more engaged. They pick charities that align more with their beliefs. They take the same approach to investing and career management.

So how do you get your children involved in giving back? Well, the easiest way is to set the example and then involve your children. Here are a few examples. With younger children, you're constantly having to buy them new clothes as they outgrow their older ones. Maybe you bag the clothes and bring them to the shelter. Let them know what you're doing with their old clothes. Let them go through their closets and pick things that no longer fit or that they simply don't need any more. Bring your children with you when you visit the shelter.

Are you a parent who lets your children go grocery shopping with you? Let them pick one item, something as simple as a box of mac and cheese. Let them put it in the food donation box that most grocery stores operate. Or again, let them come to the shelter with you when you're dropping off your food items for our grocery program.

A lot of children develop habits, routines, beliefs for no other reason than they saw their parents with the same habits, routines, and beliefs. When they become an adult and move into their own places, they won't even think twice about donating items they no longer need. They won't think twice about signing up for a monthly donation plan when they make their budget. It will be something they do simply because you have taught them that it's the right thing to do.