A Message from Dale Pelletier

Today was the memorial service for one of our long time residents, Ronnie.  Ronnie was a resident in many of our programs, most recently, The Oaks. 

Here are a few words from Dale Pelletier, Manager of The Oaks:

As we celebrate Ronnie’s life today at the Oaks surrounded by family, friends, and members of the community who have worked with Ronnie for many years, we remember the man that he was. Many tears and laughs will be shared, but ultimately, the memories of his life will be what is shared and remembered. Ronnie was a man of great dedication to the cause of managed alcohol, as well as, the Oaks program. He was one of a kind and will be greatly missed by his friends and family.

Top Ten Reasons I Love to Come to Work

I have been with Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation for over 2 years now.  I thought I would share to you my absolute favourite reasons I do what I do.

I know that each day I am helping to make a difference.

I am inspired by the people we serve.

I see the difference our work makes in the lives of those we serve

I see compassion and caring at every level.

I know we make every effort never to turn anyone away and that the hardest-to-serve men and women in our community are being taken care of.

I know that we are working on new initiatives every day to serve the homeless in our community.

I know that together with our partners in the community we work at finding permanent housing for those in the shelter system.

I know that we create supportive living environments and housing for those living in shelters that cannot manage on their own, that we provide them with a place to call home. 

I know that we could not do any of the work we do without the support of our donors and our community,  I am truly inspired by their caring.

I know that working here has made me a grateful and content person

 

 

 

I hope your work inspires you every day just like mine does! 

 

To learn more about Shepherds of Good Hope, click HERE

Alcohol Awareness Month

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and it is also a good time to talk about the extremely successful Managed Alcohol Program at Shepherds of Good Hope.  The Managed Alcohol Program introduces a harm reduction approach to helping homeless, hard-core alcoholics stabilize and normalize their lives. 

This very minute population were responsible for using the highest amount of emergency services. It began in 2000 as an answer to the same at-risk population visiting hospital emergency wards repeatedly, being continually incarcerated and being barred from shelters over and over again.  On a more tragic level, one of this population was found in a snowbank unconscious and later had to have the front of his feet removed due to severe frostbite.    Something had to be done.  With the collaborative efforts from the City of Ottawa, Dr. Jeff Turnbull, Ottawa Inner City Health, Ottawa Police Services, local social services and Shepherds of Good Hope, the Managed Alcohol Program was born.

 

By employing a harm reduction methodology we see a dramatic decrease in emergency service calls.  The overall health of the individuals improves because their health concerns have been addressed and they are living a healthier lifestyle. Their addiction needs are met so that they do not need to spend all of their time panhandling to get their drug of choice.  They can experience dignity again. They can now concentrate on building community with each other and the staff and reuniting with family.  They are no longer shunned by society and have become active members of society.  They attend movies, do communal cooking, vote, and even take part in The Terry Fox Race.
A Canadian wide study headed up by the University of Victoria and incorporating other Managed Alcohol Programs across the country is now taking place to assess best practices and what can be done to improve services. 

To find out more, please visit our website HERE