Demand for food assistance is at an all time high for the Emily Murphy Centre.
Lisa Wilde, executive director for the facility, said that the pandemic is a contributing factor for the community's increased need for the centre's services, acknowledging that it is to be blamed for many issues facing the world today.
Particularly for women and families in the region, it forced people to be constrained 24/7, with no reprieve.
“Violence escalated and people were just at their wit’s end,” Wilde said.
The Emily Murphy Centre is a Stratford-based, 20-unit housing facility located at 67 Barron St. It assists women and children who have escaped violence or are trying to escape violence, become safe, comfortable, and have a violence-free life.
The centre has a team that does counselling, assists with navigating different systems, and outreach, among other things.
As Wilde said, it's all hands on deck at the centre and everyone is devoted to making sure the ship sails. Everybody does a little bit of everything.
Since the pandemic, the Emily Murphy Centre has seen its wait-list quadruple. That list is steadily retracting, but not fast enough.
Currently, there are 27 families waiting for shelter at the centre. Wilde said that there are too many variables to accurately estimate how long a wait time will be.
Outreach services have since expanded, but Wilde said it is not enough to cover the needs of the community.
The centre is looking for donations “every day of every year.” Financial donations are always valuable, in addition to gift cards for grocery stores and pharmacies.
In particular, according to a recent post on the centre’s Facebook page, it is looking for donations of paper towels, toilet paper, non-perishable and nut-free school snacks, juice and juice boxes, instant ramen, cleaning supplies, tinned fruit, and spices, including salt and pepper.
Wilde added that milk and diapers are also a necessity.
Normally, the centre would also need feminine hygiene products, but it is part of a coalition called the Huron-Perth Period Poverty Taskforce.
Through donations and investment from the federal government, they have enough feminine hygiene products for another year, roughly.
In October of this year the centre will celebrate 35 years. Wilde said that upwards of 4,000 families have been helped during that time.
“It is really special,” Wilde said. “It’s a joyful anniversary. It's something to be celebrated. I've been trying my whole career to work myself out of a job, but that hasn't happened yet. And unfortunately, the need for our services has not decreased at all in that time. In fact, it's increased exponentially.”
Additionally, tickets are on sale for the inaugural Euchre with Emily, a fundraising event for the centre in partnership with Royal Canadian Legion Branch 8 and RBC.
There will be a silent auction, games, and prizes for winners and losers.
If anyone interested doesn’t know how to play euchre they could look online or get some tips from Wilde.
“Show up half an hour early and I’ll show you how to play!”
