Beni – CONNECTION in Plain Sight

When Beni Ruitmirwa and his family moved to Canada, they were met with kindness and support from strangers. Beni thought of that support when he started working on the front line at Shepherds of Good Hope in 2023.

His ability to support and connect with the people in his care made him the perfect candidate for his role in the ground-breaking shelter diversion project that stopped homelessness in its tracks.

“We started the shelter diversion pilot project in April 2025,” recalls Beni. “Some clients get stranded in Ottawa, and they don’t know their way out. They end up becoming chronically homeless because they get stuck.”

Previously, when someone checked into the shelter, Shepherds of Good Hope would welcome them, provide meals and assign them a bed for the night. Over the next while, they would work with a case manager to find suitable housing.

Though a bed at the shelter meets basic needs, it can lead to new or worsening trauma and health issues, especially after long stays.

The shelter diversion project proposed a different path. What if we could keep individuals out of the shelter in the first place, preventing a potential spiral into chronic homelessness?

“The project was within forty-eight hours to be able to get that person back to their family, or back to that place where they’re supposed to be.”

Beni’s initial skepticism of the project was removed after his first successful diversion.

“A young female came to our shelter,” he recalls. “She was fleeing domestic violence from her boyfriend.”

Beni listened to her story, connected her with her estranged mother who lived out of town, gave her new clothes, brought her to a bus station with a ticket home to her mother, sending her back home to safety.

“When people come around our shelter, they think this is where homelessness starts, but what I always want to tell people is Shepherds of Good Hope is where homeless ends.”

Beni is Connection.

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