Two Guelph-based charities have officially partnered to find a warehouse to support their food and family programs.
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington (CFGW) and the Guelph Community Health Centre (GCHC) have launched a joint search for some new warehouse space; they require approximately 25,000 square feet of year-round space with an additional 8,000-12,000 square feet from the months of October to January.
Melissa Kwiatkowski, CEO of GCHC, said this space is needed to continue providing food to children, youth and families.
“Without a suitable space critical community infrastructure including food distribution networks that support schools, families and local organizations will be at risk,” Kwiatowski said, “this is about whether the systems people rely on every day can continue to function.”
In a combined effort the support programs from GCHC and CFGW directly impacts over 20,000 individuals, including children.
The GCHC’s SEED program for example hosts an online grocery marketplace offering discounts on store-bought goods and distributing them through a warehouse location.
CFGW has their own support programs as well such as Adopt-a-Family; this program connects families who need support during the holidays with donors who provide gifts and groceries.
The charities need a physical space to operate these programs which has provoked the search; according to their press release one in four homes in Guelph-Wellington are food insecure.
Their goal is to have an interim location secured by late-2027 to continue with uninterrupted service.
They said they are open a variety of arrangements including short and long-term agreements within a shared, standalone, multi-tenant, campus-style or hybrid models at a rent rate that is donated, subsidized or below-market.
“We’re inviting the community, developers, businesses and donors to partner with us to find a solution that keeps this work strong,” said Karyn Kirkwood, CFGW’s executive director.
