Kate Nixon was a young woman who wanted to make a difference in downtown Guelph. She saw the dire circumstances in which some in her community were living, and joined by a group of young, committed volunteers, she founded Your Downtown Guelph Friends (YDGF). YDGF aims not only to feed people, but to build connections and create a community of care.
Like many mid-size cities in Ontario, Guelph has seen a dramatic increase in folks who are falling through the cracks, struggling with housing and hunger in particular. This problem was only exacerbated by the pandemic. YDGF strives to fill the gaps left by other social service agencies downtown, particularly when they are closed.
They provide a warm meal to community members, along with other things they might need – from warm socks to hygiene products. Meals are prepared in a local church kitchen and served outdoors right on Wyndham Street, in the heart of downtown Guelph. They’ll also help people navigate the system, and even helped a group of folks who were displaced by a fire in a downtown apartment building. They will crowd source to meet peoples’ need.
They are also looking at providing harm reduction, and other workshops to support the community they serve. YDGF also accept donations of needed items, and receive support from agencies such as FEWD (Food Equity With Dignity), the Guelph Food Bank, and local food security social enterprises such as The SEED. They post call-outs on their social media whenever there is a particular need.
YDGF is supported by the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition (GNSC), with some annual funding, and insurance coverage. “This takes the administrative load off of people trying to do good,” says Brendan Johnson, Executive Director of the GNSC.
Tragically, Kate passed away just after Christmas, after a brief battle with leukemia. She was only 23 years old. “Her work was very heart-centred, and was about meeting needs, but also about building community – she lived one of the truest lives of service I’ve ever seen,” says Brendan. “She was a doer and a dreamer.”
Kindred is pleased to support the continuing work of YDGF and the legacy left by Kate Nixon. One of Kindred’s core values is compassion, and Kate Nixon embodied this value in everything she did. The people continuing her valuable work through Your Downtown Guelph Friends are dedicated to keeping Kate Nixon’s legacy alive.