Shepherds of Good Hope
230 Murray Street
Written by Bytown Museum
on
03/Dec/2009
Since 1983, the Shepherds of Good Hope have been providing meals, beds, support and hope for many of Ottawa's homeless. In 1983, St. Brigid's Church allowed a small group of women to prepare a hot lunch for a group of hungry guests. This proved to be the first of many thousands of meals. Following a series of moves, the Shepherds moved to their current location at 230 Murray Street in 1999.
The Shepherds' annual stats say it all:
- Soup kitchen lunches served – over 150,000 or over 400 per day;
- Shelter bed-nights, over 60,000;
- Grocery hampers provided, over 30,000;
- Christmas hampers for families, over 1,000.
The Shepherds of Good Hope is just one of many downtown shelters and support programs for the city's less-fortunate. Have you volunteered at a homeless shelter? Tell us about your experience.
Neighbourhood
From its very beginnings in 1826, Bytown (early Ottawa) was divided geographically, with Uppertown to the west of the Rideau Canal and Lowertown to the east. Lowertown, then ... read more
