Event aims to give everyone in Barrie a home

Barrie has one of the highest homelessness rates in Ontario. According to the Homeless Hub, in 2011, there were over 7,500 homeless individuals with an additional 1,463 in assisted housing.

With limited accessible housing, more and more people are finding themselves without a suitable place to sleep. The David Busby Street Centre currently sees an average of 150 participants a day, the equivalent of 38,000 visits a year. But homelessness is not isolated to the downtown area.

Hockey Helps the Homeless is working towards creating a future where every Canadian has a home. On March 4th, 2016, Barrie will be hosting this tournament for the second year in a row. With 10 participating teams, each including 2 former NHL pros, the Barrie community will come together once again to fight homelessness.

Market Buffet & Smokehouse has been proud to support this awesome initiative! For the second year in a row, we will be catering the tournament breakfast, lunch and dinner, and will also participate as a Team Sponsor. Currently, our team has raised $2,730, but hopes to increase that in the ten days leading up to the event March 4th! You can make your own donation pledge

All proceeds raised for the event will be directed to The David Busby Street Centre and Redwood Park Communities, having an immediate impact on the homelessness in the area. Last year’s tournament earned $80,000.

According to Redwood Park Communities, Simcoe County has a 10-year target of creating 2,685 new affordable housing units and the City of Barrie has mandated the creation of 840 new affordable housing units, aligning with Simcoe County’s 10 year plan to add 840 total units within the City of Barrie.

Let’s work together to give everyone in Barrie a home!