Chili fundraiser nets $550 for Community Living Peterborough's Wish Fund
| 
| 
Event enhances community engagement for Community Living Peterborough
Community Living Peterborough’s fourth annual chili fundraiser brought in $550 for the agency’s Wish Fund, an initiative providing assistance for people accessing services from the agency who require additional financial resources. The fund is aimed at ensuring people can achieve their life goals. Photo Gallery...
Aside from raising money for the Wish Fund, the Feb. 5 event was also successful at engaging Community Living Peterborough with its partners and enhancing the agency’s profile throughout the community, says Linda Birch, an outcomes facilitator at Community Living Peterborough and the event’s co-ordinator.
In fact, community engagement garnered through the event has become so great over the years that the fundraiser “needs a bigger venue” for bringing everyone together, says Birch.
This year the event was held at two locations — at the agency’s head office and at the Peterborough Lakefield Community Police Service. The police service and the local branch of the Ministry of Correctional Services partnered to host the event with Community Living Peterborough.
As always, this year’s chili fundraiser included a contest for best chili. There were 17 entries at the agency’s head office and three entries at the police station.
The event included a chili tasting contest that was judged by a celebrity panel, including Peterborough Fire & Rescue’s fire prevention Captain Greg Simmons, deputy police Chief Steve Streeter and Peterborough Ward 3 Coun. Ann Farquharson.
Birch says it’s important to attract community leaders to these events.
“It raises awareness,” she says, adding she hopes everyone who attended the event “walked away with a better awareness of what we do at Community Living.”
Chilies winning top honours in the best chili category included entries from Auburn House; Kim Pogue, outcomes facilitator with Community Living Peterborough; Carolyn Corp, of Alternatives; and Catherine Moher, of Peterborough Youth Services, who was awarded the honour for best vegetarian chili.
The Wish Fund is set up to provide people with limited funds and who are accessing services from Community Living Peterborough with financial assistance. People accessing services from the agency and are in need of additional financial resources must apply through the agency.
Photo: Chilifest Judges, from left: Deputy Police Chief, Steve Streeter; Dave Smith DNS Real Estate Limited & Board Member of Community Living Peterborough; Ann Farquharson, City Councillor Ward 3, Captain Greg Simmons, Fire Prevention Ptbo. Fire Department (missing from photo: Jay Scotland, CHEXTV Weather Analyst)
