Recently I was helping a friend clean out her closet in anticipation of a move to a retirement residence. We ended up with three large bags of clothing, purses, and the like to donate. I promised her I would look into donating her beautiful (she has great taste in clothing) and cherished items to a women’s shelter or a similar organization. Thanks to Google, I discovered there is a branch of the Shepherds of Good Hope not far from my home here in suburban Kanata.

The Shepherds of Good Hope is a haven for both men and women requiring shelter, support, stability, and as their name implies, hope. Our original intention was to donate the clothing to a women’s shelter, but those I contacted were not accepting clothing at this time.

When I dropped the donations off, I was offered a tour of their “boutique” where volunteers organize and display all donated items. Whatever they cannot use onsite, they take to the Shepherds of Good Hope downtown Ottawa location.

When I called my friend to tell her that her donations were well appreciated, she told me she has more to go. I guess I inspired her!