As a company that specializes in helping homeowners regulate their air temperature, Oosterveld Heating and Air Conditioning knows the importance of keeping people warm in the winter. It’s the primary reason why the company is once again spearheading a drive to ensure less fortunate people in Guelph also have the necessities they need to stay warm.
In partnership with both The Guelph Storm and Hope House Guelph, the staff at Oosterveld Heating have launched their annual warm winter wear campaign, which aims to distribute warm clothing to people in need in the community of Guelph and surrounding area.
“We’re looking to collect as many boots, coats, hats, mitts and scarves as we can,” said Jennifer Dunsmoor, Marketing Director for Oosterveld Heating and Air Conditioning. “Preferably new given the realities of COVID, but we’re also accepting gently used winter wear of any kind.”
The campaign is an annual initiative spearheaded by Oosterveld, a family-owned and operated business in Guelph for the past 40 years. All clothing gathered will be distributed to those in need locally with help from Hope House, an established community charity that offers services and programs designed to challenge the stigmas surrounding poverty.
Despite the postponement of the OHL season, the campaign still kicked off with help from the Guelph Storm, which offered up its home office as a drop-off location for the donations during the first week of November. The campaign is over in that capacity, but after seeing the success of the initiative, the owners of Oosterveld decided to extend the campaign right through until the end of the year.
Currently, the Warm Winter Wear Campaign is ongoing with the drop off location for Hope House held at Oosterveld Heating and Air Conditioning.
Given the economic difficulties that COVID has caused across the community, Dunsmoor said the need for the campaign has never been greater.
“Because I’m chairing a fundraiser for Hope House this year, I’m privy to some of the statistics locally," said Dunsmoor. "This year the numbers at Hope House, an organization serving this community, have doubled since the beginning of the pandemic. That’s pretty staggering knowing that there are that many more people in need of shelter, clothing and food in our community. Add in frigid cold temperatures and it can be a pretty rough winter for these people. Because of COVID and the year we’re having, with so many people falling on difficult times, we’ve just decided to continue collecting right through until the end of the year.”
Anyone wanting to make a donation of new or gently used winter wear can contribute by dropping it off Oosterveld Heating and Air Conditioning, 1007 York Road in Guelph. For more information on Hope House, visit lakesidehopehouse.ca.