It’s always a joyful occasion when Erin Sullivan’s friends and family gather in her honour while raising funds for a cause that was dear to the late Ennismore resident’s heart.
On Friday, March 27 at 7 p.m., the Ennismore Community Centre will become a place of song, stories, dance, and laughter during the third annual Erin’s House kitchen party fundraiser, sponsored by Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital. Proceeds will go towards the mortgage of a home owned by One City Peterborough that was named in Sullivan’s honour.
Tickets, available in advance only, are $25 and can be purchased by sending an e-transfer to erinshouse@onecityptbo.ca or by calling 705-772-9291.
“It’s very celebratory,” says fundraiser organizer Jane Wilson. “People come thoroughly prepared to enjoy themselves and they do. The music is great and it’s very happy, it’s really positive, it’s really upbeat. Since most of the people have known Erin and they know her family, there are always lots of stories shared. But in between it’s a lot of fun and it’s really joyful.”
Wilson and her fellow co-organizer Joanne Rowland met Sullivan through The Buddhist Place and became good friends through the volunteer work Sullivan did in the community.
“She was really active in downtown Peterborough and did a lot of work at St. John’s (Anglican Church) when they had a food kitchen supporting the homeless population (called One Roof),” says Wilson. “It was very close to her heart. She felt very strongly about it, and she acted on it.”
VIDEO: “Shelf Life” by Megan Murphy
In 2022, at the age of 43, Sullivan died of cystic fibrosis — 26 years past the life expectancy she was given at birth. A recipient of a double lung transplant, she was in and out of the hospital though she always found her way back to volunteering for her community.
“The summer before Erin died, I remember having a conversation with her while we were having coffee and she said, ‘If I had lots of money, I’d just buy houses for all these people because people need a place to live,'” Wilson recalls.
Wanting to make that dream a reality after her death, Sullivan’s friends and family contacted One City Peterborough, a local non-profit that supports the inclusion of people that who have experienced homelessness and/or criminalization. In addition to operating the Trinity Community Centre that offers an overnight shelter and daily drop-in program, the organization owns homes and work with private landlords to provide affordable housing opportunities.
One of these homes is now called The Erin Sullivan House, or Erin’s House, and gives a permanent home to four residents. Having supported people coming out of homelessness since 2020, the home was purchased by One City Peterborough in 2023 through a vendor take-back mortgage with the previous owner and a $225,000 anonymous donation.
“One City is great. They do so much and they’re constantly progressing, buying houses, and putting people in permanent homes. They’re helping one person at a time,” says Wilson. “Our job was to just chip away at the rest of the mortgage and that’s what we’ve been doing through different little fundraisers.”
For the third year in a row, Peterborough filmmaker, playwright, and performer Megan Murphy will be hosting the event that will see music from The Kitchen Party Band and other local musicians. Murphy was a close friend of Sullivan for more than 30 years and, in 2011, she made a short film about Sullivan titled Shelf Life. When staging the world premiere of Murphy’s play Wild Irish Geese last summer, 4th Line Theatre donated $2 from all ticket sales for the August 25 performance to Erin’s House.
The March 27 fundraiser will also include a silent auction with prizes donated by Millbrook Valley Chocolates, 4th Line Theatre, Moody’s Bar & Grill, Millbrook Mercantile, and many other local businesses and makers.
Organizers are still seeking donors and sponsors. Those interested can email Wilson at jlouisewilson226@gmail.com.
Last year alone, the event raised $19,000 for Erin’s House. The remaining mortgage balance now sits at just under $137,000, which Wilson says they will continue to support while also celebrating Sullivan through the lively kitchen party she would have loved.
“Erin was very beloved by her family and friends, and this is a real celebration,” says Wilson. “It’s a very good thing to be involved (in). It’s very much a family event because Erin has a wonderful family and they’re all there supporting her. It’s really lovely.”
The original version of this story has been updated to correct the phone number to call for tickets.
