Guelph charities getting creative in quest for a new home

A group of charities in Guelph need to find a new place to call home. CTV’s Jeff Pickel reports.

A pair of Guelph charitable organizations are looking for a new home.

The Seed Guelph and The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington County have been operating out of a warehouse at 69 Huron Street for the last six years.

“Although we’ve had a great partnership with our landlord, Wood Development Group, this specific site is slated for redevelopment and so we know that we have to find a new home,” said Melissa Kwaitkowski, CEO of the Guelph Community Health Centre, the organization that operates the Seed program.

The charities said they have between 18 months and 2 years before they need to be out.

“We’re looking for a partner. If you have land, if you have space, we are looking for short term locations to meet our needs, but also longer-term locations that meet our vision of really integrating food and supports and other services,” Kwaitkowski said.

The organizations said the demand for their programs is growing, with one in four households in Guelph reaching out for food assistance.

This week, Kwaitkowski asked Guelph city council to consider exploring a plan to build a charitable hub and affordable housing complex on Elmira Road, just outside the city limits in Guelph-Eramosa Township.

The undeveloped parcel of land is owned by Wood Development Group.

Council agreed to begin to look into the idea, but Kwaitkowski said at this point they are willing to entertain all offers.

“We continue to explore lots of options. This really isn’t about one option, it’s about making sure that this system, this distribution network, can continue to meet the needs of the community.”

The group said a central downtown location is not as important as size and price, as the facility will act as a logistics and distribution centre.

They said any money they can save on rent, they can put into helping others.

“Without the gift of this space, it would be very difficult to do what we do and have the fundraising dollars have the impact it does have if we had to divert a lot of money into infrastructure.” Karyn Kirkwood, executive director of The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington County, said.

Anyone with the ability to help find a new home is ask to contact the Guelph Community Health Centre or The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington County.