Friends and family of late Ennismore resident Erin Sullivan are coming together again to honour her memory by way of a kitchen party concert that supports people coming out of homelessness.

Called “Erin’s House II,” the second annual fundraising event will take place at the Ennismore Community Centre at 553 Ennis Road from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, March 14 — the day after what would have been Sullivan’s 46th birthday.

“Erin was a great dancer,” says co-organizer Joanne Rowland. “She always danced — anywhere we went, she just danced — so the kitchen party made sense.”

Hosted by Megan Murphy, the kitchen party will offer music performed by Kate Suhr, Kate Brioux, Paul Crough, and Melissa Payne, and will also feature a silent auction and a cash bar. Tickets are priced at $25, with proceeds going towards paying off the mortgage of The Erin Sullivan House — a house named in Sullivan’s honour that is owned and managed by One City Peterborough.

On October 23, 2022, Sullivan passed away of cystic fibrosis at 43 years old. A recipient of a double lung transplant, Sullivan spent a lot of time in the hospital, though that didn’t stop her from spending much of the last decade of her life volunteering her time to the community.

“We went to Silver Bean one day and I remember Erin saying ‘If I had lots of money, I’d just buy houses for people’,” says Jane Wilson, another friend of the Sullivan family and co-organizer of the event. “That’s the kind of person she was.”

VIDEO: “Shelf Life” – A profile of Erin Sullivan by Megan Murphy

Rowland, too, recalls fondly Sullivan’s dedication to the community while they volunteered together at One Roof, a now-defunct daily meal program in Peterborough.

“She was a tireless supporter of the downtown people,” Rowland says. “She always knew everybody by name, made everybody feel very welcome, and made them feel important. She just had an amazing knack for seeing people — really seeing people.”

“We knew she had some tough times with her cystic fibrosis, but she’d be ill and then come back from that brink and continue her work. It was just always astounding the energy she found for others, when you knew part of the time she wasn’t feeling that well herself.”

Given Sullivan’s drive to support the community, it makes sense that her friends and family would approach One City Peterborough when she passed away. Alongside offering other programs, the organization owns homes and works with private landlords and other agencies to create affordable housing options for those experiencing homelessness in Peterborough.

Thanks to Sullivan’s friends and family, one of the four-bedroom houses that has been managed by One City since 2020 is now called The Erin Sullivan House (or “Erin’s House”). There are currently four long-term residents living in the home, and Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) recently partnered with One City to build a 400-foot-square additional rental unit in the backyard.

“We really just wanted her name to be continued and have something to honour her,” says Rowland.

With the assistance of a $225,000 anonymous donation, the home was purchased in November 2023 through engagement in a vendor take-back mortgage with the previous owner. A further $78,731 has already been donated by friends and family, and the goal is to raise the remaining mortgage balance of $146,268.

Last year’s inaugural kitchen party raised $12,000 towards the cause and, with this year’s event being held in a larger venue, the hope is to raise even more. The event organizers are still looking for sponsors so they can lighten the operational costs and donate as much as possible towards Erin’s House.

Among the items that will be up for bid during this year’s silent auction include gift certificates to local eateries including Silver Bean Café and Copper Spoon, handcrafted jewellery from Valerie Davidson Jewellery, tickets to 4th Line Theatre, goods from Millbrook Valley Chocolates, and pottery from Wilson herself.

“We made a lot on the silent auction,” says Rowland of last year’s event. “People were very generous with that, so we’ll have a lot of items there.”

Beyond raising money, Rowland says the hope is for community members to come together for a cause that Sullivan herself would have supported, while also remembering her by having some fun.

“There were lots of stories about Erin (last year),” says Rowland. “It just felt it like a love-in for Erin … when someone passes away, this is what we want — to keep mentioning the person’s name, keep talking about them, keep their memory alive in the community. It sure felt like that last year, and I’m sure it will be the same this year. It was just a really fun event with lots of stories and lots of laughter.”

During the March 14 event, which is sponsored in part by Sherbrooke Animal Hospital, there will be an opportunity to see a plaque in Sullivan’s name that will soon be installed inside of Erin’s House. It reads: “Light to you always.”

“That’s really what she stood for,” says Rowland. “Light and love.”

Rowland and Wilson are both sure this is an event that Sullivan herself would have enjoyed.

“She was such a delight and she was such a positive person,” says Wilson. “This event reminds everybody of her wonderful life, and she would just love the project. She would just be gassed. She wouldn’t believe it.”

Tickets for the Erin’s House II kitchen party fundraiser can be purchased at the door for $25 or in advance by sending an e-transfer to Rowland at joannerowland@gmail.com. Those interested in sponsoring the March 14 event can also email Rowland.

To make a direct donation to Erin’s House, visit canadahelps.org/en/charities/onecityptbo/campaign/erin-sullivan-house/.

Celebrating its 95th anniversary in 2025, the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough recently brought smiles to the faces of shoppers in two downtown grocery stores by handing out 160 gift certificates worth a total of $4,000.

The initiative part of Kin Kindness Day, an annual event dedicated to promoting kindness and compassion with the goal of fostering a culture of empathy and goodwill.

“Kin Kindness Day is a reflection of our mission to make a difference and give back to the community,” says Kinsmen Club of Peterborough president Barry Craft in a media release. “We were grateful for the opportunity to support local families and show our appreciation to the people of Peterborough through the simple gesture of helping with this week’s grocery bill,” Craft said.

On Saturday, February 22, Kinsmen Club members handed out $25 gift certificates to unsuspecting shoppers at No Frills on George Street and at FreshCo on Brock Street.

According to the Kinsmen Club, when the recipients found out the intent of the gift certificates was a simple act of kindness, “more than a few” paid it forward and asked that the gift certificate be given instead to someone who was more in need.

A community service organization founded in 1930, the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough supports a variety of local charities and non-profit organizations each year, such as Kawartha Food Share, Cystic Fibrosis, and Five Counties Children’s Centre.

Saying his office has been “inundated” with phone calls and emails, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP-elect Dave Smith issued a statement on Monday (March 3) to correct what he terms are “erroneous comments” recently made by the project lead for the Brock Mission transitional housing building planned for 738 Chemong Road.

Speaking before Peterborough city councillors last Monday, Brock Mission board member Alan Wilson said “operational costing” for the 52-unit building that will rise next to the organization’s Cameron House emergency shelter for women “has been costed at $2 million,” adding “MPP (Smith) has said he will make sure we get that money.”

But in his statement, Smith made it very clear that “that’s not the case.”

“There has been no (provincial) funding offered to Brock Mission for this (project), whether it’s capital or operating,” he later clarified for kawarthaNOW.

“We (the Province) don’t have any (funding) programs at the moment because, obviously with the election, the budget has not been released yet,” Smith said. “Until the budget comes out, I don’t know what’s in it.”

“My office was inundated this morning (Monday) with phone calls and emails asking for clarification on this … based upon the statement Mr. Wilson said at city council.”

In his written statement, Smith acknowledges he participated in an “introductory meeting” last fall regarding the project.

“Representatives for Brock Mission were directed to work with the lead partners on the HART (Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment) Hub project during the development of Peterborough’s HART Hub application,” Smith writes in his statement. “Representatives of Brock Mission chose not to participate in the collaboration for the operational funding opportunity for the HART Hub.”

“I’ve been very heavily involved with the HART Hub application since its inception,” Smith told kawarthaNOW. “I don’t believe that what he (Wilson) is proposing is actually going to be a solution for our problem at the moment. Brock (Mission) has been operating in isolation, without working with any of the other partners on this (HART Hub).”

As for provincial dollars to help fund the Brock Mission build, Smith makes it clear in his statement that this is not an option. He notes the $6.3 million in funding that the Ontario government has committed for Peterborough’s HART Hub “can only be allocated toward operational expenses.”

“None of the funding can be used for capital build expenses. No funding from the successful HART Hub application for Peterborough can be used to assist in the Brock Mission build.”

Furthermore, Smith notes there are no provincial capital funding programs available for which Brock Mission could apply.

“No provincial capital funding is available nor has any been committed to Brock Mission for this project,” he states.

“As is the case for all funding opportunities, should a program be made available, Brock Mission may choose to apply for funding, at which time, the project would be evaluated through a competitive application process, and the merits of the proposal combined with the needs of all of the communities that apply would determine whether their application is successful or not.”

Asked if he thinks Wilson was misleading when he told councillors that he had been assured funding for operational costs would be forthcoming, Smith took a long pause before answering.

“Suggesting that someone is lying is not something I’m comfortable with,” Smith said. “What I will say is I have no idea where he came up with a commitment or dollar amount.”

To clarify that exact point, kawarthaNOW shared Smith’s statement with Wilson via email, to which Wilson only replied “I understand what Dave has said.” Meanwhile, kawarthaNOW’s request to Wilson for an interview went unanswered.

Wilson’s appearance before city council — the outcome of which saw Mayor Jeff Leal exercise his strong mayor powers to fast-track the project, and subsequently gain enough support from council to expedite it by amending the city’s zoning by-law and exempting the project from the city’s site plan requirements — followed an earlier appearance before Peterborough County councillors where Wilson sought financial support from the county.

Wilson afterwards told the Peterborough Examiner that he expects the project to include $2 million in operating expenses which, he’s quoted as saying, “will be covered by the Province in recognition of the desperate need for transitional housing in the city.”

While county council voiced its support of the project, it voted to defer Wilson’s funding request until 2026 budget deliberations.

Brock Mission’s transitional housing project was earlier granted $250,000 by the city to pay for site test testing work which has already begun.

Wilson has said that federal funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is actively being sought.

Should funding be forthcoming, the building’s foundation could be dug as soon as late April, with construction of the building itself starting this summer.

By treating themselves to lunch delivered to their desks, Peterborough business owners and employees can help put dinner on the table for the growing number of community members who rely on Meals on Wheels.

Community Care Peterborough has announced the return of “Meals to Go,” its spring annual fundraising appeal. The popular fundraiser, which takes place on Wednesday, March 26, is a semi-annual event that sees meals delivered directly to local workplaces by Meals on Wheels volunteers.

Each meal sold helps subsidize the cost of Meals on Wheels in Peterborough, “ensuring that nutritious food remains accessible to those who need it most,” Community Care Peterborough noted.

Danielle Belair, CEO of Community Care Peterborough, shared a few thoughts with kawarthaNOW about the importance of the fundraiser.

“Meals to Go is more than a fundraiser,” Belair said. “Every lunch delivered, every meal donated, and every volunteer hour contributes to a legacy of care that has supported Meals on Wheels for the past 60 years.”

The demand for Meals on Wheels has grown and community support is vital for the success of the program, Belair added.

“The need for Meals on Wheels has increased considerably in the last few years and this initiative helps us further our efforts to fight food insecurity for seniors and adults living with physical challenges.”

The $15 meal features a Greek chicken pasta bowl (served cold) with a triple-chocolate fudge cake dessert. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and lactose-free alternatives are also available. The menu has been crafted in collaboration with Mapleridge Retirement Residence, which prepares hot Meals on Wheels in Peterborough.

To take part, groups of co-workers must order meals in advance, with one representative submitting the full order. The deadline to order is Tuesday, March 18. Orders can be placed online at www.commcareptbo.org/mealstogo.

In addition to purchasing meals, Community Care Peterborough invites businesses and community members to donate non-perishable food items in support of Vinnie’s Food Pantry, a Peterborough food bank operated by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. A donation collection will be available at the time of meal delivery.

Community Care Peterborough is also seeking new volunteers in March for the Meals on Wheels program.

“We have set a goal of recruiting 60 new volunteers to support Meals on Wheels, and other essential services we offer, as we commemorate the 60th anniversary of Meals on Wheels in Peterborough,” Belair said.

In December, Meals to Go surpassed its goal of 600 donated meals for clients in honour of the anniversary milestone. Meals to Go also coincides with March for Meals, an annual campaign that raises awareness of Meals on Wheels programs across North America.

In Ontario, more than 68,000 people rely on Meals on Wheels, and Peterborough is home to one of Canada’s earliest programs. Today, Community Care Peterborough delivers more than 50,000 meals annually throughout the city and county.

“We are so grateful for the incredible support that has sustained Meals on Wheels for 60 years,” Chris LeBlanc, director of donor and public relations at Community Care Peterborough, said in a media release.

“It takes the entire community — businesses, volunteers, donors, and partners — to keep this essential service going. Meals to Go is a fantastic way for businesses to enjoy a great meal, support Meals on Wheels, and now, give back even more by donating non-perishable food items to help those in need.”

Meals to Go is made possible through the support of sponsors, including Mapleridge Retirement Residence, Sysco, Outpost Packaging, and Crosswind Farm.

Community Care Peterborough is a multi-service charitable organization dedicated to promoting health, wellness, and independence for seniors and adults living with disabilities across the city and county of Peterborough.

Through services including Meals on Wheels, transportation, and wellness programs, Community Care Peterborough “enriches the lives of thousands in our community each year.”