Guelph Dads give back: $2,575 donation helps feed children
GUELPH – The Guelph Dads Facebook group has partnered with local digital marketing agency Merged Media to donate $2,575 to the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington’s Keep Kids Fed at Home program.
That’s enough to provide a year’s worth of weekend meals for two to three children.
The donation represents a shift in the group’s annual holiday giving tradition.
For years, Guelph Dads organized toy and food drives to help local families in need during the Christmas season.
This year, the group’s 2,500-plus members rallied together to support a cause that directly addresses childhood hunger in the community.
“It’s a great charity,” said co-admin Matthew Webster. “We’re all dads, so we all have kids, and if our kids didn’t have enough to eat we would want to ensure they are fed.”
The Keep Kids Fed at Home program serves about 500 severely food-insecure children across 32 Guelph elementary schools.
Many of these children depend on school nutrition programs Monday through Friday but go home to empty cupboards on weekends.
Each Friday, nutritious food bags are discreetly delivered to schools and distributed by staff, ensuring children’s dignity is preserved, officials say.
During school holidays, families receive grocery gift cards instead.
Jason Hunt founded Guelph Dads in 2018 after moving to the area from Oakville and noticing no similar community existed for fathers.
“The next day co-admin Tim Girard was dad number two in the group,” Hunt said. “From there it snowballed to a community of 2,500-plus dads from the greater Guelph area.”
The group’s original goal was to create an open forum where like-minded dads could connect on everything from business networking and home repair advice to Christmas decoration inspiration and local park meet-ups.
The community has grown to include dads throughout the Wellington region, offering support, friendship and practical guidance on the challenges and joys of fatherhood.
Hunt is joined by co-admins Tim Girard, Brent “Bear” te Boekhorst and Matthew Webster in managing the online community.
The Keep Kids Fed at Home program operates entirely on community donations with no government funding.
The program began in 2018 when all four Guelph Rotary Clubs came together to pilot the initiative with 43 children at three schools.
Demand has grown steadily, more than doubling during COVID, and a waitlist currently exists for children in need.
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington took over the program in July 2024, renaming it Keep Kids Fed at Home as part of their broader mission to support vulnerable children and families.
Dads in the Wellington area interested in joining can find Guelph Dads on Facebook or visit guelphdads.com.
Those wishing to support the Keep Kids Fed at Home program can visit childrensfoundation.org.
