Mayor Mark Sutcliffe Joins Community Leaders to Serve Hope at Shepherds of Good Hope.

On December 17th, Mayor Sutcliffe and local business leaders helped serve lunch at Shepherds of Good Hope as part of the 12 Days of Hope campaign, promoting community support for those in need.

Warmth, laughter and good food filled Shepherds of Good Hope’s community kitchen on December 17th. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe joined business leaders Shawn Hamilton, Kevin McHale, Michael Crockatt, Sueling Ching and Sonya Shorey to serve lunch to the local community.

“This is part of our 12 Days of Hope campaign,” says Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation CEO, David Gourlay. “We are so grateful to have Mayor Sutcliffe and so many leaders from Ottawa’s business community to help serve a warm meal, and a heartfelt smile to our guests.”

The business leaders, inspired by the work at Shepherds, offered not just food but also resources and support for future programs aimed at providing food and a place to eat for people in the community.

“Breaking down barriers in the community helps humanize people experiencing homelessness,” says Gourlay “We are all the same, and it is vital we support one another at this time of year, and throughout the year as well. When we are together, we see that Ottawa helps Ottawa.”

By the end of lunch, the volunteers left Shepherds with a renewed sense of purpose. Serving lunch is an important step in the Shepherds continuum of care and leads to the larger mission: to end chronic homelessness in Ottawa by nurturing a supportive network for those who need it most.