St. Clare Sandwich Day Continues to Grow

When St. Clare Catholic Elementary School let us know that they were planning on doing sandwich day again this year, we immediately let the soup kitchen know about the date. Last year St. Clare's provided over 800 sandwiches and so we wanted the soup kitchen volunteers to know that they could focus their energy on other tasks for that day.

Well St. Clare managed to out do themselves by making 1027 sandwiches and providing a host of other food all of which will go towards feeding hungry men and women both at the soup kitchen and at some of our supportive living facilities.

We are so grateful to the students and staff at St. Clare's for this incredible bounty and for continuing the tradition of giving back to Ottawa's most vulnerable.

Try Something New!

There isn’t much time left to get tickets for Shepherds of Good Hope 3rd annual A Taste for Hope! This glamorous affair promises to excite your taste buds from the sumptuous offerings from some of Ottawa’s finest chefs. 

This year we have an additional treat – two brand new restaurants, North & Navy and Share Freehouse will be on board for your delight serving up their specialty dishes!

North of 7 distillery will also have their full line of products on hand for your enjoyment.
That is not all.  Wait until you see the great items at the silent auction table and take part in the exciting live auction!

Enjoy an evening like no other while helping support the great work at Shepherds of Good Hope and by showing our clients that they have not been forgotten.

Jean Pigott Hall, Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West (Ottawa) Wednesday, March 25, 6pm to 9 pm

$150.00 Each ticket will receive a $100.00 tax receipt.

Get Your Tickets Here

 

Featuring Amazing Newcomers:

North & Navy

 
Located in an iconic culinary building on Nepean Street, Chef Adam Vetterol and his business partner, Chris Schlesak have just opened one of the most unique Italian inspired restaurants to appear on Ottawa's food scene.  

The restaurant space has been transformed into a comfortable, casually elegant space, perfect for sharing time and food with friends.  A new window into the kitchen allows diners to connect with the culinary team and the service staff, led by Schlesak, is outstanding.

The food is very unique.  Influenced by other south-eastern european traditions, Vetterol's expression of Northern Italian family meals is comforting and powerful.  

North of 7 Distillery

 

How did two Ontario boys, Greg Lipin and Jody Miall, develop a love and appreciation of small-batch bourbon, so much so that they conspired to open a first of its kind micro distillery in Ottawa?The connection seems incongruous, but in truth it was their love of rock climbing. Both are long time, avid rock climbers who regularly travel down into the hollers of Kentucky on climbing trips.  It was there they developed an appreciation for the ‘brown spirits.’  This love led to the touring of distilleries in the region, and the purchasing and enjoying of many different types of bourbon and other american whiskies.

In the true artisan spirit, every level of production is handled in-house, including mashing and fermentation, distilling, barrel aging, bottling, and packaging.

Their unique line of hand-crafted spirits includes whisky, rum, gin, and vodka.
 

Our Friend Chef Danny Mongeon is Opening a New Restaurant!

Share Freehouse

Born and raised in Ottawa, Chef Danny Mongeon began cooking at the age of thirteen for Neil Tully, executive chef of Friday's Roast Beef House. Neil took Danny under his wing and began to teach him the ways of the kitchen.
This experience proved to be very educational and rewarding. Danny felt his vocation was a career in cooking.

After working under some of Ottawa's greatest Chefs, Danny helped open Brut Cantina Sociale in downtown Hull.  The restaurant was an instant hit and helped Mongeon gain the confidence to open his own restaurant.  Soon, Hooch was conceptualized.  Mongeon's take on southern cuisine, seafood and raw plates stunned diners when the doors opened.  His creative menu changed frequently and was paired with craft cocktails and small batch bourbon whiskey.

"I really can relate to this important cause, said Chef Mongeon.  There was a time in my youth when I witnessed the good things the Shepherds of Good Hope do.  I'm proud to help them raise money to continue their work."

Danny will be opening a new restaurant in April called Share Freehouse.  Watch for news about how he turns Ottawa dining on it's ear again.

Get Your Tickets Here!

Get More Info Here!

 

 

 

Bytown Chefs Collective

The Bytown Chefs Collective is a new collaborative initiative created by a group of Ottawa Chefs that are focused on creating unique dining experiences in the National Capital.  They will be at A Taste for Hope on March 25th in support of the most vulnerable in our community!

Come join us for Shepherds of Good Hope 3rd Annual A Taste for Hope! This glamorous affair promises to excite your taste buds from the sumptuous offerings from some of Ottawa’s finest chefs. Enjoy the atmosphere and listen to bluesy jazz as you sample fine wines and local beers.  That is not all,  wait until you see the great items at the silent auction table and be part of the exhilaration created from the live auction.

Enjoy an evening like no other while helping support the great work at Shepherds of Good Hope and by showing our clients that they have not been forgotten.

Jean Pigott Hall, Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West (Ottawa) 

Wednesday, March 25, 6pm to 9 pm

$150.00 Each ticket will receive a $100.00 tax receipt.

 

Get Your Tickets Here

 

Three fantastic members of the Bytown Chefs Collective that will be in attendance are:

 Chef Stephen La Salle, The Albion Rooms

Chef Stephen La Salle is a proud Ottawa native. After studying at Algonquin College and working in area restaurants, in 2012 he joined the team at Novotel Ottawa to open The Albion Rooms in his first chef position in March 2013. 
Chef La Salle strives to showcase the region and contemporary Canadian cuisine at The Albion Rooms, in 2014 he was selected as one of Ottawa’s top 10 and competed at the Gold Medal Plates Ottawa culinary competition.

Chef Ian Carswell, KW Catering

Having grown up in Petawawa, Ian Carswell found his love of the kitchen lifestyle at Nippissing College, where he worked part- time at a family diner. After apprenticing in North Bay, Ottawa and Toronto, he went to Europe. “I had amazing experiences there, particularly at Helsinki’s Chez Dominique, ranked in the top 25 restaurants in the world. It was intense – I worked 100 hours a week but I learned so much.”

Ian landed at Absinthe Café when he returned to Ottawa and he moved next to K.W. Catering where he quickly rose to become executive chef. At just 29 years of age, Ian enjoys the responsibility of running the National Gallery’s busy kitchen, serving up a blend of classical French cuisine with modernist touches.

 Chef Kyle Mortimer-Proulx, Lowertown Brewery

Kyle got his earliest cooking lessons from his mother, who believed everyone should know their way around the kitchen. Getting his first kitchen job at age 15, Kyle knew then what he wanted to do: become a chef.

After graduating from Algonquin College's chef training program, Kyle began working as a cook at the Brookstreet Hotel, first under Chef Michael Blackie and later with Chef Clifford Lyness. He rose quickly through the ranks to become Sous-chef.

In 2012, Kyle left Brookstreet to become Chef de cuisine at ZenKitchen. Following Chef Caroline's departure in February, 2013, Kyle was named ZenKitchen Executive Chef.

Most recently, Kyle became Executive Chef at Lowertown Brewery a new Brew house and creative kitchen in the Byward Market.

Get Your Tickets Here!

Get More Info Here!

Meet The Chefs!

Would you like to spend a fantastic evening in the company of some of Ottawa’s finest chefs all in the name of helping the homeless?

A Taste for Hope is an extraordinary culinary event in celebration of Shepherds of Good Hope’s service to the most vulnerable men and women in our community.  You will be able to sample dishes prepared by many talented local Ottawa chefs ranging from signature creations to the exotic, as well as fine wines and local beers. All proceeds from this event will be used to serve the 1,600 men and women that come through our doors every day.

Jean Pigott Hall, Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West (Ottawa) 

Wednesday, March 25, 6pm to 9 pm

$150.00 Each ticket will receive a $100.00 tax receipt.

FIND OUT MORE HERE!

Some of the amazing chefs in attendance will be:

 Chef Jason Laurin, Essence Catering

A Cordon Bleu Cuisine and Pastry graduate, Chef Jason Laurin has been honing his craft for over 20 years. Having worked in Montreal, Toronto and Dallas before arriving in Ottawa, he brings his food memories from each of his stops along his career journey. His contemporary style is based in classical training. Chef Jason is able to design and execute menus that reflect the unique qualities and tastes of each of Essence Catering’s clients.

Chef Briana Kim, Café My House

Chef/Owner Briana Kim opened her plant-based restaurant Cafe My House in winter 2009 in hopes to provide creative and approachable vegan food to people who wouldn't normally seek out a vegan restaurant. The new location in Hintonburg focuses in seasonal, changing menu, tasty artisanal cocktails & fun special events like Speakeasy Night, Nut Cheese & Wine event & Pizza and Beer Night.

 Chef John Morris, NAC

Chef John Morris was born in Bathgate, Scotland, and raised in Ontario. John, who has been cooking for more than 18 years, began his career as an apprentice at the Kananaskis Lodge in Alberta. He was a key part of the team who achieved the CAA Four Diamond awarded to Perspectives restaurant at the Brookstreet Hotel in Ottawa. Later, after a culinary stage in Bermuda, John joined the team at Caesars Hotel and Casino in Windsor. He was executive sous chef at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel prior to joining the National Arts Centre in 2009, the same year he received the 2009 Gold Medal Escoffier Society of Toronto Culinary Salon.

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!

FIND OUT MORE HERE!

#JOEYCupOfCare

Yesterday was an exciting day in the soup kitchen!  This time with amazing soup from JOEY Lansdowne!

JOEY Restaurants has an initiative called JOEY Cup of Care where staff from the restaurants prep and prepare thousands of bowls of soup for hungry people in the community.  We had the pleasure of having the JOEY staff in our kitchen to serve lunch and dinner for our wonderful clients.

The JOEY staff also pitched in with day to day chores of prepping vegetables

And we also had special guest server, Mayor Jim Watson there at dinner to serve the delicious soup to our clients.

 

Thank you so much to JOEY Lansdowne and Mayor Jim Watson for helping us help those in our community!

A Valentine's Day Celebration

Happy (Early) Valentine's Day!

Because Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday, we took the time out today to make a very special meal for our community!  Our friends at Fitzroy Beef Farmers donated enough delicious beef for us to cook over 400 roast beef meals for lunch!

Our wonderful kitchen staff and volunteers started preparing yesterday.

And today at lunch I came down to the kitchen to help our volunteers carve the roast.

And to top off this fantastic Valentine's Day meal, we handed out special chocolate treats to our clients.

Thank you very much to Fitzroy Beef Farmers, our staff and our volunteers for making this a special day for those in our care.  Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at Shepherds of Good Hope!

Creative Kosher Catering to Serve on Mitzvah Day

David Smith from Creative Kosher Catering Serving for Mitzvah Day

Shepherds of Good Hope is pleased to announce that in honour of Mitzvah Day David Smith from Creative Kosher Catering is coming with dinner and his staff to serve the shelter dinner at their Soup Kitchen at 233 Murray Street on February 8^th from 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm.

Creative Kosher Catering is a premier catering company in Ottawa and has been the catering company of choice for many high profile events across the city.

David Smith said, “On this Mitzvah Day it is the Jewish values of kindness towards others that have brought me here to serve the less fortunate without judgment or reward.”

Anna Silverman commented, “David Smith has been a big supporter of Shepherds of Good Hope and continues to support our efforts with donations of wonderfully prepared food at every opportunity.  For this we are extremely grateful.”

For further information: contact Anna Silverman (613) 293-1003.

Export Development Canada

On Friday December 12^th we had a special group of volunteers from EDC. This wonderful volunteers came to help spread the holiday cheer by making a special meal for the women who live in Brigid’s Place, a Shepherds of Good Hope supportive living facility for the most street entrenched and hardest-to-serve women in the city of Ottawa due to addiction issues, mental health and factors relating to past trauma. All of the 11 women who are currently staying at Brigid’s have experienced exceptionally difficult lives and they were so grateful to the volunteers for taking the time to make them such a special meal. 

  

 

The volunteers had a great time volunteering together but the joy they brought to our ladies is what really marks the holiday spirit. 

If you would like to volunteer, or bring in a group to volunteer, please click HERE.

Members of Parliament Guest Servers

Today we had members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Senate serving lunch in the soup kitchen. Senators Asha Seth, Jim Munson, Senator Tobias Enverga and MP Joe Daniel took time out of their busy schedules to come and assist with the noon meal.

In the spirit of the holiday season, Senator Asha Seth generously sponsored the lunch was able to meet and speak with the most vulnerable men and women amongst us.

There was close to 500 people in our lunch line today for the wonderful meal that was served. Clients were absolutely thrilled to receive large chicken breasts and chocolates for dessert. Some of the guests were even overheard saying it was the best meal they ever had!

We are so grateful to Senators Seth, Munson, Enverga and MP Daniel for their compassion and dedication to the homeless and impoverished in our community.