Inn of the Good Shepherd

What Inn of the Good Shepherd does

Inn of the Good Shepherd is a registered Canadian charity (BN 13131 2092 RR0001) headquartered in Sarnia, Ontario, that has delivered multi-service social assistance to Lambton County since 1981. Its core operating portfolio comprises a grocery-store-model food bank distributing 75,000 pounds of food monthly to roughly 800 households (2,475 people including 940 children), a soup kitchen serving hot meals seven days a week, an emergency shelter and transitional housing program (Good Shepherd's Lodge, 30 beds plus 5 transitional units), a youth shelter for ages 16–21 (The Haven, up to 9 residents), and rent and utility arrears assistance. Supporting programs include income tax clinics (4,100 returns filed last year generating over $15 million in government benefits for low-income clients), an 18-stop Mobile Market distributing fresh produce weekly, Genesis clothing vouchers, Back to School kits for 1,200+ children, Snack Pack nutrition, Christmas Programs serving 500+ families, a Children's Birthday Club, Winter Coat Night, and Reduced Fare Transit partnerships.

The organization operates from three owned or government-leased facilities in Sarnia and is supported by 51–100 paid staff plus 450+ monthly volunteers. Service delivery is built on a community-led intake model — walk-ins at the John Street headquarters, partner-agency referrals, and a third-party Link2Feed Blue Card registration system — with no proprietary technology platform and no AI or automation beyond standard nonprofit tooling. The Indigenous-specific Red Path program represents a culturally-grounded service extension using methodologies developed with Trent University.

The revenue model is entirely non-commercial: all client services are free of charge, and operations are funded through a diversified mix of individual and corporate donations (Suncor, Pembina, Imperial Oil, OPG, Shell, Cargill, Walmart, Metro, Foodland), in-kind food and goods, United Way grants (notably for the Income Tax Program), provincial and municipal government funding (Ministry of Children & Youth Services and County of Lambton for The Haven; City of Sarnia for transit), and network membership support from Food Banks Canada and Feed Ontario. The organization is governed by an eight-person volunteer Board of Directors led by Chair Liz Koetsier and operated by Executive Director Jack Christine; it is privately held, has no parent company, and is not a candidate for traditional PE/VC investment given its nonprofit legal form.

Name

Inn of the Good Shepherd

Legal name

The Inn of The Good Shepherd

Website

https://theinnsarnia.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Inn of the Good Shepherd is a Sarnia, Ontario–based registered Canadian charity operating since 1981 a multi-service poverty-relief network — food bank, soup kitchen, two shelters, transitional housing, income tax clinics, and mobile produce distribution — serving 800+ low-income households monthly across Lambton County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarnia

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: The organization relies primarily on charitable donations from individuals, businesses, and industries in the Sarnia-Lambton community. Donations include financial contributions, food items, clothing, and in-kind support. The organization is a registered Canadian charity (BN 13131 2092 RR0001) and issues tax receipts for all qualifying donations.
2. Government Funding & Grants: The Inn receives government funding and grants from various levels (municipal, provincial) and agencies including United Way for specific programs like the income tax clinic. Programs like The Haven are funded by Ministry of Children & Youth Services and County of Lambton.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Inn of the Good Shepherd is a registered Canadian nonprofit charity that operates a multi-program social safety net for low-income individuals and families in Sarnia-Lambton, Ontario. Core offerings include a grocery-store-style Food Bank, a daily Soup Kitchen, two emergency shelters (Good Shepherd's Lodge for adults/families and The Haven for youth aged 16-21), Income Tax Clinics, Rent & Utility Assistance, and a Mobile Market distributing fresh produce.

Product overview

The Inn of the Good Shepherd is a multi-service charitable organization offering a comprehensive network of social support programs for individuals and families in Sarnia-Lambton. The core programs include a Food Bank using a point-based grocery store model, a Soup Kitchen serving daily hot meals, two emergency shelters (The Haven for youth ages 16-21 and The Good Shepherd's Lodge for adults/families with 30 beds), and Rent & Utility Assistance. Support programs include Income Tax Clinics filing 4,100+ returns annually, a Mobile Market distributing 8,500 lbs of fresh produce weekly to 18 locations, Genesis clothing vouchers, Back to School kits for 1,200+ children, Snack Pack nutrition program for children, Christmas Programs serving 500+ families, Children's Birthday Club, Winter Coat Night, and Reduced Fare Transit. The organization operates from three locations: The Inn at 115 John Street, The Lodge at 950 Confederation Street, and The Haven at 442 & 444 Kathleen Ave.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Bank A food bank providing food packages including staples and fresh foods through a grocery store model where clients use points to select items. Located at 115 John Street, open Monday-Friday 9:30am-11:15am, serving over 2,400 people monthly including 940 children. Available every 21 days to registered Blue Card clients.
• Soup Kitchen A soup kitchen serving hot meals to those in need. Open 7 days a week with hot meals served Monday-Friday 1:00pm-2:15pm and weekends 4:30pm-5:30pm. No eligibility requirements — open to anyone in need. Dozens of volunteer teams from churches, schools, businesses, and industries prepare and serve meals.
• The Haven Youth Shelter Short-term co-ed emergency shelter for young adults ages 16-21 at 442 & 444 Kathleen Ave. Houses up to 9 residents in a 30-60 day program. Staffed 24/7 with gender-separated units (4 female, 5 male). Funded by Ministry of Children & Youth Services.
• Good Shepherd's Lodge Emergency shelter and transitional housing at 950 Confederation Street with 30 emergency shelter beds for single men, women, and families. Provides 2 hot meals daily, computer access, laundry, showers, and housing search assistance. Staffed 24/7.
• Rent & Utility Assistance Provides financial assistance for rent or utility arrears and last month's rent for Lambton County residents who have received eviction or disconnection notices. For OW/ODSP recipients, requires Municipality Residency Benefit application first.
• Income Tax Clinics Free community tax clinics for low-income households to file income tax returns and maintain eligibility for government benefits. Processed 4,100 returns generating over $15 million in benefits last year. Available by appointment, mobile clinics, and drop-off. Funded in part by United Way.
• Mobile Market Weekly mobile produce distribution program bringing fresh garden vegetables to food bank clients at 18 locations throughout Sarnia and Lambton County from July through mid-October. Distributes 8,500 pounds of produce weekly.
• Genesis Clothing Voucher Program Clothing voucher program providing vouchers for Goodwill and Mission Thrift Store. Clients can access vouchers 4 times per year (once per season) through the Food Bank. Also provides Kitchen Kits with house and kitchen wares for those being housed.
• Red Path Program Indigenous-specific holistic healing program with two components: Addictions Treatment and Living without Violence. Blends clinical and cultural approaches addressing emotional and social health using techniques developed by Trent University.
• Snack Pack Program Distributes nutritious snacks to children in geared-to-income housing neighborhoods during summer months when student nutrition programs are unavailable. Serves children at 18 locations in Sarnia-Lambton. Sponsored by Noelle's Gift.
• Back to School Program Provides over 1,200 kits with school supplies in new backpacks specific to grades, including pens, markers, calculators, binders, and snacks. Distributed through The Inn, Temple Baptist Church, and partner agencies.
• Christmas Programs Holiday assistance including Adopt-A-Family (sponsors over 500 families with 1,200+ children's wishes), Singles Dinner, Inn Out of The Cold Family Dinner, and Children's Christmas Party serving approximately 300 children.
• Reduced Fare Transit Program Partnership with The City of Sarnia offering bus passes and tickets at reduced cost to help clients access transportation for groceries, work, school, and medical appointments.
• Children's Birthday Club Provides birthday kits with toy, book, stuffed animal, cake mix, icing, and toothbrush for elementary-aged children up to grade 8 or 13 years old.
• Winter Coat Night Annual event providing winter coats, boots, hats, and gloves to approximately 520 individuals.
• Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) Referral program through United Way Simcoe-Muskoka that may assist with up to $500 towards Enbridge Gas or Hydro One arrears for qualifying individuals.
• Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) Program connecting lower-income households with monthly electricity bill credits based on household size and combined income through their electricity utility provider.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,100 tax returns filed generating $15 million in government benefits — 50% of tax clients use no other Inn service, demonstrating financial independence
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Sarnia Lambton United WaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor funder of the Income Tax Program. Provides financial support that enables thousands of low-income residents to file taxes and access government benefits. United Way logo appears prominently on tax clinic materials.
• Food Banks CanadacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational food bank network. Provides support, resources, and funding to The Inn's food distribution programs. Logo appears on Mobile Market promotional materials.
• Noelle's GiftmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLead sponsor of Snack Pack Program for children. Supports expansion of summer nutrition programs serving youth across Lambton County.
• County of LambtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of The Haven youth shelter with Ministry of Children & Youth Services. Owns the Kathleen Avenue property where The Haven operates. County staff volunteer at Singles Christmas Dinner.
• Goodwill and Mission Thrift StoremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Genesis clothing voucher program. The Inn distributes vouchers to these thrift stores, giving clients superior selection and dignity in choosing clothing. The Inn diverts clothing donations to these partners.
• City of SarniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for reduced fare transit program. The Inn sells bus passes at reduced cost to clients, increasing transit access for low-income residents.
• Dante ClubsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts Inn Out of The Cold Family Christmas Dinner annually. Long-standing community partner.
• McDonald's (Sarnia)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Inn Out of The Cold Family Christmas Dinner.
• Lambton CollegesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner supporting The Inn's programs.
• Feed OntariosupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerProvincial food bank network member providing resources and support.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Covenant House Toronto: Multi-service charity operating youth shelters, drop-in centers, and housing programs — directly analogous to The Haven's youth shelter model. Comparable funding mix and operational structure.
• Daily Bread Food Bank: Toronto-region food bank network operating a member-agency model similar to how The Inn distributes food. Comparable grocery-store-model food banking and operates the same Link2Feed intake system referenced by The Inn.
• Fred Victor: Toronto-based multi-service charity providing shelter, housing, food, and health services to people experiencing homelessness and poverty — analogous comprehensive wraparound service model with similar funder base.
• Blue Door Shelters: York Region emergency housing and shelter provider operating multiple shelter sites serving adults, youth, and families — directly comparable to Good Shepherd's Lodge and The Haven.
• Good Shepherd (Hamilton): Long-established multi-service charitable organization operating shelters, food programs, housing support and community services across the Hamilton/Halton region. Directly comparable multi-program wraparound model with similar funding mix (donations, government grants, United Way).
• Salvation Army Sarnia Community Church: Local Sarnia branch of a national charity providing emergency shelter, food assistance, and family services in the same Lambton County market. Direct competitor for donor dollars and overlapping service offerings (shelter, food, Christmas programs).
• St. Vincent de Paul Society of Sarnia: Catholic charity providing food assistance, rent/utility support, and household goods to low-income residents in Sarnia-Lambton. Operates overlapping programs (food bank, rent assistance) drawing from the same donor base and volunteer pool.

Broad incumbents

• Feed Ontario: Provincial food bank network of which The Inn is a member. Provides wholesale food sourcing, advocacy, and capacity-building — a network-level incumbent that supports The Inn's food bank operations.
• The Mustard Seed (Calgary): Large multi-service charity operating shelters, food programs, housing, and community support with a wraparound model directly analogous to The Inn's approach, though at significantly larger scale.
• United Way Sarnia-Lambton: Regional funder and convening body that both funds The Inn (Income Tax Program) and operates adjacent community programs. A more generalist intermediary that competes for community fundraising dollars while also being a partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theinnsarnia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inn-of-the-good-shepherd-sarnia-inc-the
• Instagraminstagram.com/theinnsarnia

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Inn of the Good Shepherd