100 Women Who Care Guelph has chosen Hope House as our fourth charity of 2024 (our 10th year!) to receive its over $17,000 donation. The donation will supply milk and eggs to approximately 3000 food insecure people in Guelph.
Hope House “offers services and programs that challenge the stigmas surrounding poverty and allows community members to maintain their dignity and choice while simultaneously providing them with tactile skills developed in a community environment, creating long-term skills that facilitate self-sufficiency.” (hopehouseguelph.ca)
Among its various programs, Hope House, distributes both purchased and donated food through nine different food markets in Guelph to food insecure people. Unfortunately, most donated food is carbohydrate rich, lacking in foods (such as milk and eggs) that are high in protein and certain vitamins/minerals.
Hope House currently purchases 1000 eggs a week at wholesale prices and with significant discounts, but can barely meet the current demand. Why? The number of food insecure people visiting Hope House food markets alone has grown from 3500 to 4700 people in under a year, and is still increasing by over 34%+ yearly.
The most significant reason for the increase in demand is the high cost of affordable housing (which has tripled in recent years) for those on low incomes, working or not or with complex needs. Although likely temporary, a 1000 person strike at a local food plant has significantly increased the number of people attending the food markets.
The $17,000+ donation would supply four to five months of milk and eggs to over 3000 Guelphites in this vulnerable community. Since demand is growing, without increases in funding, Hope House may/will need to place people on a wait list. Reducing food insecurity (to any degree) will help more people grow, succeed and be healthy.
Visit www.100womenwhocareguelph.com for more information or to become a member and help support those in need in our community.
