Two new programs have been added to Hope House Guelph’s Seniors’ Community Food Market.

Both Food Talk, a nutritional program, and therapeutic horticulture, which focuses on plant-related activities to improve overall well-being, have been expanded to the monthly food market.

Hope House aims to support those most vulnerable in the community, addressing issues such as poverty and food insecurity through a wide range of services. To date, the organization has supported over 7,000 people and distributed more than $1 million worth of groceries to community members in need.

Gillian Cornell, manager of food programs at Hope House, said they wanted to improve seniors’ food accessibility.

“Seniors typically, obviously, have mobility issues,” Cornell said. “Their transportation is limited, so this is why we chose to bring these markets to the buildings to be able to have better access to nutritious food.”

She said the food is either purchased from organizations or donated by community partners.

Then, the food is prepared and delivered by volunteers. The initiative distributes to more than 350 seniors at eight separate subsidized housing locations in Guelph. Markets are on Speedvale Avenue, Grange Road and Hadati Road, among other locations.

“Each of these markets has volunteers inside the building that help deliver the food as well as from the market, which is down in the community lounge, up to people who cannot actually come down because they’re not feeling well or other things too,” she said.

Cornell said building relationships and word of mouth have helped attract seniors to the markets each month.

She said the program has resonated with them.

“We have annual program surveys and 98 per cent of respondents believe that we provide them with an important source of healthy food,” she said.

In 2024, Cornell said 96 per cent of respondents from another survey agreed or strongly agreed that Hope House provides a sense of community.

She said the program’s overall goal is about improving seniors’ well-being.

“It really is a holistic concept. So, what we’re doing is we’re going deeper, and our goal is to deepen the well-being of folks that could really use it,” she said.