Northumberland residents have stepped up to provide holiday meals to residents in need over the winter, and in turn, will be embracing puppy love all year long in 2025.
Northumberland County has announced its first-ever fundraising calendar, featuring photos of the Northumberland Paramedics therapy dog Ivy Joules, was a success. Money raised through sales of the calendar was used to purchase meals for community members who are less fortunate, to enjoy over Christmas and during the upcoming Family Day holiday.
Northumberland Paramedics has been raising money to deliver holiday meals for the past three years. In 2022 and 2023, the fundraisers were internal initiatives with the paramedic team and the paramedic association.
“2024 was the first year involving the community, with the sale of the paramedic therapy dog calendars,” said Kate Campbell, Northumberland County’s director of communications and IT.
“With the success of this initiative, paramedics are considering ways to once again undertake a community fundraising campaign to support the delivery of holiday meals in December 2025, and this may include (another edition) of the calendar,” she told kawarthaNOW.
As a result of the community response to the 2025 paramedic therapy dog calendar fundraiser, Northumberland Paramedics raised more than $1,000 to deliver the holiday meals to seniors and community members this winter.
Paramedics worked closely with Ketch’s Korner restaurant in Cobourg to deliver 25 meals to community paramedicine clients during the Christmas holidays. They are planning to deliver another 27 meals during the week of Family Day in February.
“We are so grateful for the incredible support we received from the community during the first year of this fundraising initiative,” said Northumberland Paramedic Chief Susan Brown in a media release.
“Thanks to the community’s kindness, we were able to partner with the very generous Ketch’s Korner to provide holiday meals and a friendly visit from our community paramedicine team to seniors and vulnerable community members over the holidays.”
Ivy Joules, a young golden retriever, often visits community paramedicine clients and also provides support to the team of paramedics.
“She is truly a source of joy for us, and we’re thrilled that, through this program, she has spread her paws-itive impact even further in our community, one smile at a time,” Brown added.
Each year, Ketch’s Korner donates approximately 250 meals to people in need, as well as to first responders working over the holidays.
“Northumberland Paramedics wanted to amplify this generous and impactful initiative by raising funds to expand the number of meals that could be distributed.”
The calendar was launched in the fall of 2024 ahead of the holiday season to help support those efforts.
“We started giving out meals to seniors 10 years ago,” said Ketch’s Korner owner Melissa Dale in the release.
“It all started with a lady who was going to be alone for Christmas, as her son was going to be out of town for the holidays. So, my daughter and I dropped off a turkey dinner for her — she was going to have a peanut butter sandwich. That’s what started the whole thing.”
Within only one month of pre-sales last fall, Northumberland Paramedics sold 135 calendars. The calendar features photographs of Ivy Joules exploring Northumberland and interacting with residents, community paramedicine clients, Northumberland Paramedics, and staff delivering other county services.
Northumberland Paramedics’ community paramedicine program offers non-emergency in-home care to seniors and vulnerable community members in Northumberland County. The program aims to provide preventative and patient-centred care while helping to manage the high demand on hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities and emergency services.
For more information about the community paramedicine program, visit northumberland.ca/cp.
To see Ivy Joules at work throughout the county, residents are invited to follow her adventures on Instagram @we.need.ivy.stat.
