Shara – Safe Families

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Shara's day at Safe Families Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge

Shara had the privilege of volunteering with Safe Families Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge, an incredible organization dedicated to supporting families in crisis. They offer a compassionate network of community members who provide temporary housing, support, and resources to families in need. Their mission is to keep children safe and families together during times of hardship, and their work truly embodies the spirit of care and kindness. Shara chose to volunteer with them because she deeply admire their commitment to strengthening families and fostering hope. 

Shara had the rewarding opportunity to help spread some holiday cheer by picking up gifts generously donated by a local church, delivering them to the organization’s headquarters, and then personally bringing them to the families. The smiles and gratitude she saw was priceless, and it was heartwarming to know that the small contribution helped make their holidays a little brighter.

 Volunteering with Safe Families was a reminder of the powerful impact we can have when we come together as a community to support those in need.

Andrea , Laurel & Kelsi – Salvation Army

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Andrea, Laurel & Kelsi's day at Salvation Army

The Community Meals Program is put on every other Monday and is hosted by the St Marys United Church with numerous local businesses and organizations taking turns to sponsor the meal. 

During their time volunteering they served supper to almost 100 people. After supper they helped clean up the hall and the kitchen. These people came from all walks of life. 

There were lots of laughs, lots of stories and a sense of comradery amongst everyone present.

Heather – Stratford CRC

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Heather's day at Stratford CRC

Community Meals is Huron & Perth County community food program that provides a hot prepared meal to individuals or families in need. This program is made possible by many churches and food centers working together to provide free or low cost meals several days of the week.
Stratford CRC is one of the churches that participates in this program. They provide a free meal every 1st and 3rd Tuesday from November to April.
Heather has been part of this program at Stratford CRC for many years, and it means a lot to her to be able to help this program by regularly assisting in the serving and cleaning up of the meal.
Heather selected this program because there has been a 31% increase in the use of food banks in the past year. There is a desperate need for food in our community. Providing a prepared hot meal to those who are in need of it is one way we can help, especially in the winter months.
On November 26th, 2024 Heather spent her day helping Stratford CRC host their community meal by assisting in the preparation of the meal including peeling potatoes and folding laundry as well as serving food, washing dishes and cleaning up the hall after the meal was complete.
Heather also had a chance to sit with some of the participates and community members during the meal and got to hear some of their stories.
Community meals is a program made possible by many hosting churches and food centers. A list of the hosts can be found on the 211 Ontario webpage here:

https://211ontario.ca/results/?latitude=43.3700007&longitude=-80.98222860000001&searchLocation=Stratford&searchTerms=&exct=0&sd=25&ss=Distance&topicPath=73

More information on additional volunteer opportunities can be found by reaching out to the individual hosts about their volunteers needs

Elizabeth – Romeo Public School

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Elizabeth's day at Romeo Public School

Elizabeth had the pleasure of volunteering at Romeo Public School in Stratford as part of their Breakfast Program, which provides nutritious meals and snacks for students to start their day. This initiative is crucial, as it ensures children have a full tummy and are ready to learn, setting them up for success in the classroom.

During her time there,  Elizabeth helped prepare and serve breakfast while chatting with the students as they arrived. It was a rewarding experience, and she truly enjoyed connecting with the children and hearing about their day ahead. Elizabeth is looking forward to continuing to volunteer a couple of mornings each month, as it’s a wonderful way to support the school community and make a positive impact on the students’ day.