Shepherds’ Taste for Hope raises $330K-plus to help end chronic homelessness

There is no top secret recipe behind the success of Taste for Hope. All that's required is a handful of ingredients: benevolent chefs, generous sponsors, community-minded business leaders and hungry foodies working together toward the shared goal of reducing chronic homelessness. Toss them together in a fabulous downtown venue like the Shaw Centre, allow time for folks to eat, drink, and mingle, and voilà! You’ve got the best foodie fundraiser in town. On Wednesday night, more than 550 ticket-holders attended the signature event for Shepherds of Good Hope, one of our city’s largest providers of permanent supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness. The event raised $330,000 and counting, Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation CEO David Gourlay confirmed earlier today. To date, Taste for Hope has passed the $1.3-million mark since it was first launched in 2o13. 

Returning to co-chair the event were Liza Mrak, executive vice president and co-owner of Mark Motors Group, and her husband, Gary Zed, founder and CEO of Canada’s Forest Trust. On behalf of presenting sponsor Ideal Roofing was co-owner Philippe Laplante. On the event planning committee were Keaton Ambrose (Chandos), Steve Ball (Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association), Jacqueline Belsito (Ottawa Senators Foundation), Karen Best (consultant), Jennifer Cross (MARANT Construction), Robin Duetta (What’s the Big Idea), Lori Henderson (RBC Royal Bank), Carrie Irvine (Carrie Irvine Communications), Joanne Kudakiewicz (Desjardins Financial Securities), Carlo Lombard (Enuffsaid Media), Josh Raganold (Welch LLP), Amir Rahim (Grounded Kitchen), Carole Saad (Chic + Swell Events), singer-songwriter Sam Stone and Claudia Williams (consultant). Gourlay and Sharon Adunmo, coordinator of donor stewardship and community events for Shepherds, were also part of the team. Shepherds of Good Hope CEO Stephen Bartolo was joined by the chair of his board, Dave Donaldson, and members of the foundation board, including chair Mark Roundell.

The evening happened to fall on the 20th anniversary of the opening of Joe Thottungal's award-winning restaurant, Coconut Lagoon. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe dropped in to present him with a framed letter of congratulations on behalf of Ottawa City Council. Thottungal was among the chefs to donate their time, skill and food to the event. "I'm blessed, I'm blessed," he humbly told OBJ.social of his business milestone.

The chefs also included Devin Marhue (Thyme & Again Catering), Matthew and Ashley Atton (BAMM’s Snack Shack), Wapokunie Riel-Lachapelle (Nikosi Bistro), David Vinoya (Tulip Restaurant & Bar), Stephen La Salle (Lionhearts), Simon Beaudry (Les Fougères), Ryan Edwards (Le St. Laurent), Ben Baird (Pelican Seafood Market & Grill), Raghav Chaudhary (Aiana), Kyle Mortimer-Proulx (Urban Element), Steve MacDonald (My Catering Group), Seva Group, Nick Dompierre (Aperitivo), Jason Sawision (Stofa), Patrick Turcot (Shaw Centre), Teegavarapu Sarath (Katha Ottawa), and Matt Robitaille (Grounded Kitchen). Impressive to see was The Ottawa Mission's director of food services, Ric Watson, volunteering at the event. Also showing his support was The Mission's CEO, Peter Tilley.  VIP ticket-holders were treated to dishes prepared by Justin Champagne-Lagarde (Perch) and David Godsoe (E18hteen Hospitality Group, DG Cuisine). As well, the event also had the support of numerous beverage suppliers.

Some of the participating chefs, such as David Godsoe, return to support Taste for Hope year after year because it’s their way of helping a cause they believe needs more attention.  His daily drive to work in the ByWard Market takes him past Shepherds of Good Hope, at the intersection of King Edward Avenue and Murray Street. “As someone who goes by there every single day and sees the constant challenges every single day, I recognize that they're struggling to keep up with the demand,” Godsoe told OBJ.social. “It seems like it’s a growing problem.” Godsoe is culinary director of E18hteen Hospitality Group, which includes Restaurant E18hteen, Social, Sidedoor and The Clarendon Tavern – all located in the ByWard Market. The issue of homelessness and substance use has become a headache for businesses dealing with break-ins and acts of mischief, he said.  “It’s really challenging to both run a restaurant and try and be supportive at the same time,” he acknowledged. “As a business owner, we haven’t had a very good couple of years. It’s very frustrating. We’d like to see a solution, we’d like to see a positive outcome out of all of this, for sure.”  

Shepherds has been tackling the issue of chronic homelessness by building more housing facilities in Ottawa that not only offer residents a safe and permanent home but that include 24-7 wrap-around supports. It currently has 320 supportive housing rooms in different parts of the city and will be adding another 48 units when it opens its new facility at 216 Murray St. The crowd received a warm welcome from Gourlay, who expressed his gratitude to the sponsors, volunteers, event partners and Shepherds' front-line workers. “Tonight is an opportunity for us to raise funds for those who experience chronic homelessness in our community," he told the room. "At Shepherds of Good Hope, we tackle food insecurity, we offer sheltering and we offer supportive housing. We also offer human dignity, compassion and care through the front-line workers who are with us day in, day out, 365 days a year.” Ryan Watson from Raising the Bid led a Fund-a-Need cash appeal to help furnish supportive housing rooms with beds, dressers, chairs, side tables, linens and lamps. The items were on display for attendees to see. Each unit also comes with a safety button to allow residents to connect with staff when they need help. There was a “Tree for Hope” raffle that featured a decorated tree placed in the centre of the room. Prizes included a cruise for 10 on the Ottawa River during the fireworks festival, courtesy of Marc Sauvé; a special Redblacks package with pregame on-field experience donated by Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group; a Le Nordik Spa package; and a weekend at Mont Blanc Quebec from Dan Reid, vice president of Smith & Reid Insurance, and Emma Seguin.

caroline@obj.ca