Shepherds of Good Hope, donors tackle chronic homelessness in Ottawa with Richcraft Hope Centre

Published On: April 29, 2025By Caroline Phillips

Krystal Atkinson was at work when she first received the life-changing news.

“I couldn’t hold back my emotions,” she shared at a special gathering held Monday for donors of Shepherds of Good Hope’s Richcraft Hope Centre. “My heart was pounding.”

The guest speaker addressed her audience inside the brand new building, which will soon be providing supportive housing for 48 more individuals dealing with homelessness. There’s a new drop-in centre, where the message Love All. Serve All. is prominently displayed. A new state-of-the-art kitchen on the second floor will serve up to 650 meals daily for community members in need.

Richcraft Hope Centre is located at 216 Murray St. in the north-east corner of Ottawa’s ByWard Market district.

Richcraft Hope Centre. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Atkinson had done everything she could to help her mother, who’d struggled with alcohol for as long as she could remember. The daughter grew up in Ottawa living in and out of group homes and foster homes. Once older, she took on the roles of caregiver, advocate, rescuer and interventionist for her mother, Karen.

She shared how her mother became homeless after losing her housing, the result of not properly completing the required paperwork. She temporarily took her mom into her own home, but Karen’s behavior became too disruptive, especially with Atkinson’s young daughter present. “Living with us was no longer an option,” she said.

Atkinson still remembers the date – Nov. 29, 2023 – when she felt she had no choice but to drop her mother off at a women’s shelter, and how her “heart was torn into a million pieces”. She continued to fight for her mom, navigating the system to find a stable and supportive environment for Karen.

Back to that life-changing news. It came last summer in the form of a phone call from The Oaks — one of the supportive housing residences run by Shepherds of Good Hope. They were calling to offer her mom a home at The Oaks. That’s what prompted Atkinson to become emotional while working her shift as an inventory manager at Loblaws.

“I was filled with so much joy and relief,” she said. “My mom moved into her new home at The Oaks on August 12, 2024. It was such a relief to her and my family to finally have a place to call home. She’s doing great, by the way.”

Krystal Atkinson shared her family’s personal story at “housewarming” donor reception for the new Richcraft Hope Centre, which is providing meals, community space and supportive housing for people in need. Photo by Caroline Phillips

There was more good news to come — this time from a nurse at The Oaks, located on Merivale Road. “She said, ‘Krystal, we’ll take care of your mom and all of her appointments. You no longer have to be her caregiver. You can go back to being her daughter.’ I felt a weight lifted from my shoulders knowing that my mom was in good hands.”

Atkinson has shared this story publicly through the SGH Foundation’s Faces of Hope campaign. The reaction has been very positive, added the avid football fan of the Buffalo Bills.

Monday’s “housewarming” gave donors a chance to tour the facility, which features supportive housing units on its top six floors, which are accessible by elevator. Once the Richcraft Hope Centre opens, the total number of people living in the Shepherds’ six supportive housing buildings in Ottawa will be 339.

Among those in attendance was family matriarch, humanitarian and philanthropist Manju Singhal of local home builder Richcraft, for whom the new centre is named. The family generously gave to the community campaign co-chaired by Mary Taggart and Chris Taggart. The couple was joined by family members Scott Parkes, Michelle Taggart, Steve Parkes and Hayley Magermans from the Taggart Parkes Family Foundation. It contributed $1 million to the campaign.

The Richcraft Hope Centre was funded by federal, provincial and municipal governments, along with private donors.

Mary Taggart noted the excitement in the room. “Every comment as we walked in the door has been, ‘Wow, it’s finally here’,” she said while thanking everyone who contributed. “When Chris and I took on chairing the campaign, we were daunted; it was a big ask. But to have people like you step forward — it means a lot to us, and it means a lot to the community.”

From left, Chris Taggart, Mary Taggart, Hayley Magermans, Michelle Taggart, Scott Parkes and Steven Parkes at a special “housewarming” event for Shepherds of Good Hope’s new Richcraft Hope Centre, which is providing meals, community space and supportive housing for people in need. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The new Richcraft Hope Centre includes 48 bachelor-style supportive housing units located on its top six floors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Kaveh Rikhtegar, chair of the Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation board, and his wife, Caroline, and Dave Donaldson, chair of the Shepherds of Good Hope board, and his daughter, Alex Donaldson, at a special “housewarming” for Shepherds’ new Richcraft Hope Centre, which is providing meals, community space and supportive housing for people in need. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Shepherds of Good Hope CEO Stephen Bortolo speaking at a special event held at the new Richcraft Hope Centre on Monday, April 28, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

(Second from left) David Gourlay, CEO of Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation, with PCB Group’s Maria Martinez, Paul Bouzanis and Jonathan Roy at a special “housewarming” for Shepherds’ new Richcraft Hope Centre, which is providing meals, community space and supportive housing for people in need. Photo by Caroline Phillips

SGH Foundation CEO David Gourlay was there to welcome donors, describing the new Richcraft Hope Centre as “an integration of the best of what Shepherds of Good Hope offers” across its continuum of care in housing and food insecurity. “We could not ask for a better facility for our community.”

The new building is also Shepherds’ most innovative to date. It was constructed by PBC Group, represented at the event by president and CEO Paul Bouzanis, director of project management and construction Maria Martinez, project manager Jonathan Roy and project coordinator Chris Milne. From CSV Architects were principals Darryl Hood and Jessie Smith, along with director Paolo Marinelli and architectural technologist David Forestell.

CSV Architects’ Jessie Smith, David Forestell (left), Darryl Hood and Paolo Marinelli at a special “housewarming” for Shepherds’ new Richcraft Hope Centre, which is providing meals, community space and supportive housing for people in need. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Richcraft Hope Centre has been five or six years in the making. It offers a welcoming place for people facing homelessness to escape the cold or heat, to get a meal, to build community — things many people take for granted, said Shepherds of Good Hope CEO Stephen Bartolo. “When you’re experiencing homelessness, there’s nowhere for you to go during the day.

“We’re going to have outreach seven days a week, working with these individuals so that we can house them faster.”

Bartolo spoke with great compassion about ending homelessness by prioritizing supportive housing as a lasting solution. This year marks his 23rd year of working for the social services organization.

“When we take someone who’s experiencing homelessness for the first time – they’re down-and-out and they’re in our shelter — we work with them, we go on that journey, but we don’t judge,” said Bartolo. “We meet them where they are, and we build trust, we build hope, we build community.

“When we finally get to take them from the shelter and put them into a home of their own — the power of that moment gives us the energy as workers, where we go, ‘This is why we do what we do’.”

Guests were also encouraged to sign the large welcome banner, where there were already friendly and warm messages written by dozens of people, including Ottawa Board of Trade president and CEO Sueling Ching, and campaign donors Gary and Connie Duck.

Stephen Bartolo, CEO of Shepherds of Good Hope, with his predecessor, executive coach Deirdre Freiheit (Pourquoi Pas Coaching International), and campaign donors Gary Duck and Connie Duck at a special “housewarming” for Shepherds’ new Richcraft Hope Centre, which is providing meals, community space and supportive housing for people in need. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Shepherds of Good Hope board chair Dave Donaldson signs the welcome banner at a special “housewarming” for Shepherds’ new Richcraft Hope Centre, which is providing meals, community space and supportive housing for people in need. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Shakuntala Gupta, Bhagwan Gupta, Hari Aggarwal, Manoj Mittal and Aswin Hari from the SEVA Group, which is a long-time volunteer supporter of Shepherds of Good Hope, at a special “housewarming” for Shepherds’ new Richcraft Hope Centre. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Campaign donors Jim Saint and Chris Kincaid pose beside their recognition plaque at a special “housewarming” for Shepherds’ new Richcraft Hope Centre, which is providing meals, community space and supportive housing for people in need. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Guests of a special “housewarming” for Shepherds’ new Richcraft Hope Centre were invited to tour the building, which includes a light-filled lounge space that will soon include some furniture. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation board member Michael Williams, managing partner at Odgers Berndtson Executive Search, and his wife, Claudia, at a special “housewarming” for Shepherds’ new Richcraft Hope Centre, which is providing meals, community space and supportive housing for people in need. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The team from PBC, seen at the new Richcraft Hope Centre, included Chris Milne, Maria Martinez, Paul Bouzanis and Jonathan Roy. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Ottawa chef and restaurateur Joe Thottungal (Coconut Lagoon, Thali restaurants) and his son Mathew at a special “housewarming” for Shepherds’ new Richcraft Hope Centre, which is providing meals, community space and supportive housing for people in need. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Erin McEvoy, senior marketing and communications associate at CLV Group, in conversation with her brother, Noah McEvoy (left) and David Gourlay, CEO of Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation (right). Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Shepherds of Good Hope chief financial officer Karen Meades and Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation board members Carol Pitters, Mark Roundell and Wendy Hope at a special “housewarming” for Shepherds’ new Richcraft Hope Centre, which is providing meals, community space and supportive housing for people in need. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Shepherds of Good Hope’s culinary team consists of Tim Barton, food services manager Peter Gareau, Stephen La Salle and Matthieu Marcotte-Fauteux. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The new kitchen will also allow for meal preparation and delivery to several of Shepherds of Good Hope’s supportive housing residences in Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation team, from left, Sandra Obaji, Schwab Bakombo, David Gourlay, Emma Bernans, Sharon Adunmo (front), Meighan Hartley, Sarah Langham and Corey Roberge. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Seen from the Richcraft Hope Centre is the nearby Saint Brigid’s, where the Shepherds of Good Hope got its start more than 42 years ago. Photo by Caroline Phillips