Shepherds of Good Hope and Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation
Announce Appointment of
A New Break on Life – Ten Extra Years (and counting) With His Son
Watching your father lose everything he worked so hard for is hard on a child and devastating for families.
Matt was young when his dad, Stephen, lost his business, his home, and his car, all within less than a year.
“He worked in tech, had a business, then he lost it all,” remembers Matt. “He is the prime example of someone losing everything.”
It’s a warm, sunny June afternoon, a few days before Father’s Day. Matt is visiting his dad at Hope Living, Shepherds of Good Hope’s supportive housing residence in Kanata.
Matt and Stephen are reflecting on the journey that brought them both here.
The System Worked
After Stephen lost everything, he lived with friends and family for a while, eventually moving into the “YMCA”, where he stayed for a couple of years.
“When he got sick, he moved into the Ottawa Mission Hospice,” says Matt.
It was a welcome change. Matt recalls the first meal the hospice served. “We both looked at the plate thinking, this place is good!”
Good food and compassionate care made Stephen stronger. His body responded.
“I made friends there, but they were dying,” he says, while adding with a mischievous grin – “I had to leave, because I made the mistake of staying alive.”
This is when the system kicked in. The Mission connected Stephen to Shepherds of Good Hope, knowing he would be a good candidate for supportive housing.
“Diverting people from experiencing homelessness is something Shepherds strives for,” says Shepherds CEO, Stephen Bartolo. “Finding a place for Stephen to recover and live with dignity is something Shepherds and all of our partners are proud to provide.”
Matt takes that one step further:
“Getting a spot in a place like this is like winning the lottery.”
And, while even though his dad has been living at Hope Living for over ten years, Matt is still in awe of the people who devote their time, money, and effort into helping people like his father.
“I still try to understand why a place like this exists. Why do people volunteer here? Why do they work here? Why do they give themselves to this type of cause? It’s tricky for me to understand.”
“It’s hard for me to see people in need of this support. It makes us face what my dad went through. It lives in all of us. We are all vulnerable. The spirits are smiling upon my Dad.”
Although he’s not “a spiritual guy”, Matt is massively grateful for the people who walk the path of helping others.
Stephen puts it a little more bluntly.
“They saved my life. I knew nothing about Shepherds. This place rescued me.”
Matt and Stephen remember going out to Kanata to visit Hope Living.
“We came to check the place out,” says Stephen. “I was impressed.”
Matt was happy too. His Dad was going to live a little closer to him and his family. It was also an easy spot for his sister to visit whenever she travels from Toronto.
The staff at Hope Living nicknamed Stephen, Grandpa, as he was a new resident when his granddaughter was born – she’s almost eleven years old now.
“I like the name,” he says.
When asked who he’ll be thinking of this Father’s Day, Stephen thinks for a moment, saying, “My father, Clifford.”
“He had a rough life. I like to think that given more time, it would have brought us together more, you know?”
Time with your father. That’s the best Father’s Day gift.
Matt, Stephen, his daughter, his grandchildren, they’ve all been given more time, thanks to the devotion and care of an army of volunteers, donors, employees, community members who understand and embrace the idea of providing a loving, caring place for everybody.
“He loves the attention. He loves the community. Kanata is nice. It’s quiet with nice trees” Matt says. “My father appreciates the people around him and the care he receives.”
When asked what the extra ten years means to him, Stephen quickly responds.
“It’s a new break on life. I’ve become closer with my son. It’s been good. I hope the next ten years are the same.”
Despite everything they’ve lost, Stephen and Matt are more grateful for what they have found: each other.
“Every time he shows up here, I say ‘Here’s my little boy’.”