Huron Perth Association of REALTORS® Cooks Meals to Create Connections with Vulnerable Community Members
Twenty-two REALTORS® across Stratford and Exeter, Ontario, came together to cook up meals for community members experiencing homelessness. These meals were provided to local Connection Centres, which support vulnerable individuals with services that are client-centred, providing dignity and choice, with an unrelenting focus on securing permanent housing.
Chronic homelessness is an isolating experience. In Perth-Huron, Ontario, Connection Centres, an initiative led by the local United Way chapter, look to create spaces for community members experiencing this issue to build up social ties with service providers who can help create pathways out of homelessness.
To support the mission of these centres, local volunteers spent their REALTORS Care® Day cooking food for their clientele. The Connection Centres aim to provide basic services for community members experiencing homelessness, who may otherwise go without. Those in need are encouraged to access the centres for a place to use the washroom, access a shower, enjoy a hot meal or share in a game of cards. By creating a safe and welcoming environment, service providers can begin to build connections to help community members find safe housing.
In Stratford, volunteers made their way to the Local Community Food Centre, where they spent time in the community garden, collecting vegetables. They then headed into the kitchen where they worked in teams to create a large batch of healthy soup for the Stratford Connection Centre. The Local Community Food Centre regularly provides meals for over 125 people at a time and offers a community access food market. Their services aim to reduce social isolation for community members while increasing access to nutritious, hot meals.
In Exeter, REALTOR® volunteers spent their time baking cookies at the South Huron Connection Centre, which sees about 30 people access their services each day. The baked goods would be offered to community members who access the drop-in centre to help build these important connections.
“I was amazed by the extensive support this community offers to the homeless,” said Kathy Dawson, REALTOR® and Broker with Royal LePage Heartland Realty. “Seeing all the services provided by one group in one building was truly inspiring.”
During their time volunteering, REALTORS® learned about the important services these drop-in centres provide for community members experiencing homelessness, and that a baked good or bowl of soup has the power to show vulnerable people that they are valued and cared for.
Melanie Kuo, a community volunteer at the South Huron Connection Centre expressed her gratitude, stating, “This has helped us tremendously in getting ahead with our volunteer efforts and preparing lunches for the cooler weather ahead.”
All year long, the Huron Perth Association of REALTORS® finds ways to make an impact for community members in need. Earlier this year, the organization hosted a golf social, raising $1,000 for the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation, in support of local shelters.
