Help a Neighbour is a grassroots Guelph organization founded by two locals, Jackie and Hilary, with a simple but urgent mission: to put support directly where it’s needed most.

We believe that in a city like ours, no one should be left behind because of a budget line item. When we learned that the Royal City Mission—a vital lifeline for our homeless community—was losing its funding and being forced to cut its services from 7 days a week to just 3.5 starting January 1, 2026, we knew we had to act.

Why We Started

The gap between government funding and the actual needs of our citizens is growing. Seeing a successful, essential program like the Mission lose half its capacity sparked the need for a non-profit that operates outside the constraints of traditional shelter and city systems.

Help a Neighbour was created to bridge that gap. We raise funds to ensure that successful, local support programs can stay open, stay warm, and keep serving our community—regardless of funding cuts.

Our Approach

• Direct Impact: We cut through the red tape to get fundraising dollars directly into the hands of the programs and people who need them.

• Community Funded: We aren't waiting for government approval. We rely on the generosity of Guelph residents to protect our own.

• Safety First: Our current priority is restoring the 7-day-a-week schedule at the Royal City Mission, ensuring our neighbors have access to 14 meals a week and a safe, warm space during the winter months.

We know first hand, through Jackie’s volunteering at the mission; giving out haircuts, and winter survival supplies; exactly where the need lies and where the support dollars will go.

Guelph is more than just a city; it’s a neighbourhood. Jackie and Hilary started this because we believe that when a neighbour’s door is forced shut, the rest of us should help open it.