Community Projects
Guelph Community Backpack Project
Partnering with the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition, the Salvation Army, the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington, and the YMCA, Hope House leads the coordination of a school supply drive to provide every child (K- Grade 12) in need with a brand new, fully stocked backpack.
By owning something brand new, the kids feel that they matter, that they are valued and that they have not been overlooked or forgotten. We are simultaneously helping their school readiness as well as their state of mind and self-confidence going into a new school year.
One of the best poverty fighting tools is a full education, one free of disparities and inequalities. Research has demonstrated that children and youth living in poverty tend to have poorer education results compared to wealthier peers. These discrepancies are not due to the lack of ability to perform, but are rather the outcome of not having the necessary resources in order to be confident and successful in their academic journeys.
If you have any questions about the program please email backpackproject@hopehouseguelph.ca.
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED for the 2023/24 school year.
Our Sponsors
Thank you to The Gordon and Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation and the sponsors shown below:
Horticultural Therapy
Horticultural Therapy is being practiced and studied around the globe. Programs are offered in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, prisons, schools, community gardens and beyond. Program activities are adaptable to any age or level of ability.
Pam is our community farmer and she also runs our horticultural therapy sessions. She is an incredible advocate for the vast benefits that horticulture brings to the community as well as to individuals.
To learn more about the sessions, contact garden@hopehouseguelph.ca
Art Etc.
Art Etc. is a drop-in program that meets every Saturday from 2pm-4pm.
A variety of art supplies are provided at no cost, including: canvases, paint, brushes, clay, paper, beads, pencil crayons, colouring books, and more. Artists can bring in their own supplies as well.
Homemade soup and dessert will be served at 3:00pm. Coffee and snacks are also available.
Our Mission:
To provide a safe, inclusive, and encouraging space where all community members are welcome to gather and create art, share a meal, build relationships, and discover new skills.
Sponsor:
For more information, contact Angela at angelavanarragon@gmail.com.
Eggprenaur
Eggpreneur is an international project under Hope House that works in rural Kenyan communities assisting in the creation of sustainable egg farming ventures with the goal of helping families break the cycle of poverty. The social enterprise assists women by helping with training, start-up costs and materials to ensure that the products they send to the market create revenue.
In training these women, Eggpreneur hopes to build a self-sustaining income that will not only produce profits that will ultimately help with household needs, but also improve the nutrition of the farmers’ families with the portion of the harvests that are put aside for consumption.
Eggpeneur improved the access to nutrition to for children and has created 1,500 new jobs since its inception.
Affordable Gift Market
We believe that every person deserves a holiday filled with hope. That’s why, at Hope House, we provide an affordable gift market to create new holiday traditions with our community. The Affordable Gift Market provides individuals the opportunity to select holiday gifts for family and friends at pay-what-you-can prices including free. We have been told many times by market participants how important it is that they can select the gifts themselves.
The Affordable Gift Market will run Monday to Thursday for 2 weeks in December.
There is no registration but each household must shop on a designated day based on the first letter of their last name.
“Now I have the opportunity to give my niece a gift at family gatherings. I felt so ashamed to go without a gift, so I just didn’t go in previous years”
– Market Participant