Dixon Hall to hold fundraiser to help address new challenges
Posted May 29, 2023 3:44 pm.
New challenges at Dixon Hall, a multi-service organization, have made an event more important than ever.
The downtown east side agency started in the 1930s as a food kitchen, but has since expanded.
“Now we provide a variety of programs from settlement services to a music school for underprivileged children in the Regent Park area,” explained Pablo Escobar, Manager Housing Supports. “We have children and youth department, we have employment services, we also have a senior’s department and a housing services department that’s expanded exponentially.
In recent years, the organization been hit with challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of living increasing across the city leading to more community members relying on their meals program.
“There’s an extra 60,000 people that have been using food banks in the last year which translates to about one in four Canadians and and food prices have been increasing by 20 per cent,” said Escobar.
Dixon Hall said they provide roughly 700,000 meals per year for their shelters and around 70,000 meals to seniors through the Meals on Wheels program.
On June 6, they will be hosting an event called “Dixonlicious,” a night of food and entertainment. The goal is to raise money to support their meals services.
“It’s very important because we don’t get enough funding through our food program,” said Logan Thayalan, Director of Philanthropy. “This year we are trying to raise enough funds to provide 30,000 meals.”
“As rents increase folks have more challenges meeting their day-to-day responsibilities the issue with food insecurity in the price of food just increases exponentially and creates challenges for at risk populations,” added Escobar.
To find out more information about Dixionlicious and how you can help, you can find details here.
