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“We focus on the kids,” said Boal. “We have conjoined programs, one through the county called , for caregivers and parents of little ones up to the age of six. And the other is our child and youth program that we receive no sustainable funding for.”

They have a variety of activities from free play in their gym to organized sports, from Lego club to strings club, where kids have the opportunity to learn to play stringed instruments. They also have advanced art, cooking, teen drop-ins and more.

“We’re hoping to raise $10,000 or more, and that goes straight to our programs for after school and summer camp,” said Boal.

Shelldale really is the centre of activity in the neighbourhood, with families accessing programs throughout the day. The building is a hub for many organizations, including Family and Children’s Services of ���߲ݴ�ýWellington, the ���߲ݴ�ýCommunity Health Centre and Immigrant Services. Boal said the neighbourhood is one of largest and most diverse in the city, with newcomers from all over the world.

The summer camps are extremely popular, so kids have the chance to play and learn and take part in the community in a more structured way throughout the summer. Boal said they subsidize the cost for neighbourhood families so all the kids can go.

During the school year, she said they do a breakfast club in the mornings in partnership with the Children’s Foundation.

“We are always seeing more and more kids,” said Boal. “Last year we saw around 40 per day, this year we are getting closer to 55 or 60.”

They also try to have snacks for the kids to grab to take to school.

“It’s done totally without shame and everybody’s welcome,” she said. “We understand that for some of these kids, it’s the main meal of the day.”

She said food insecurity is the single biggest issue their families are facing in a neighbourhood that needs support like no other in Guelph.

“They have the lowest median income in the city, the highest proportion of social housing in the city and the highest number of housing units. So, it’s not just the highest proportion, but the most they can jam into one area,” said Boal. “This can make for troubling outcomes, and that’s why we’re there.”

She said they want their kids not to be defined by their neighbourhood or the income level of their families and to have more opportunities to discover skills and activities they love and excel at. Last year, Shelldale was able to provide support to more than 600 kids.

“We want to show them what they can achieve and how they can get there,” she said.

It’s easy for people in the community to help by buying tickets and coming to their Winter Warmup for lunch. They are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

Local businesses could also get involved as there are several opportunities for sponsorship at the event.

“We have wonderful sponsors like Domain Logistics and the ���߲ݴ�ýPolice Association, Burnside, Skyline, the Anna Marie School of Dance and Golf House Guelph,” said Boal. “But we’re always looking for more.”

Restaurants could even support them by cooking a signature dish for the meal.

“One of the things we’re doing this year, is we have a number of restaurants who have kindly offered to do a main dish, soup or chili, and we’re having a competition,” said Boal. “We’ll vote for the best, or people’s choice, and it will be kind of fun. It’s unique for us this year.”

She said they will also have a 50/50 draw, and the winner will be announced at the event at 2 p.m.

For more information, visit . Early bird tickets can also be purchased by emailing ahoang@shelldale.ca. Interested sponsors can email dboal@shelldale.ca.