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Orangeville community to come together to fight food insecurity during Lighthouse Week

July 31, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

A soup kitchen in Orangeville is looking for support from the community during its first-ever Lighthouse Week fundraiser.

Taking place from Monday, Aug. 4, to Saturday, Aug. 9, local businesses will be running individual fundraisers. On Aug. 9, the Lighthouse will hold an open house and barbecue for the public to learn more about the charitable organization from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

During the open house, a long-time volunteer and client of the Lighthouse will both be shaving their beards and heads to help fundraise in support of the Lighthouse’s daily free lunch program. The free lunches are offered from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Monday to Friday, at the Lighthouse.

The hair-cutting fundraiser is called Beard Be Gone & Hair Be Cut at the Lighthouse, beginning at 11 a.m. on Aug. 9.

Robert Lafave, who’s been involved with the Lighthouse for roughly 15 years, will be shaving his beard and cutting his hair, which he’s been growing out for the last four years. The last time he shaved his head and beard was in memory of his beloved son-in-law, who tragically died by suicide.

“Because he’s been involved with the Lighthouse since almost the beginning, it’s near and dear to his heart… He enjoys what we do here and it’s important to him,” said Krista Taylor, food administrator at the Lighthouse.

Sheldon, a new client of the Lighthouse, will also be shaving his ponytail and beard to generate donations.

In addition to free lunches, the Lighthouse also offers free haircuts on Mondays to people in need.

A booth will be set up in front of the Lighthouse, located at 207 Broadway, for the duration of Lighthouse Week, sharing information, boosting awareness, and raising funds through a silent auction. Lots of local businesses have pitched in with donations for the silent auction. The booth will be set up from 12:30 to 3 p.m. each day at the Lighthouse.

At the end of the week-long fundraiser, the goal is to raise enough money for 1,000 meals, which is equivalent to $9,500.

The Lighthouse is run by the Uptown Church, located down the street from it, at 219 Broadway.

Pastor Matthew McLean of the Uptown Church, who’s heavily involved in running the Lighthouse, said the costs of running it have increased over the years, and a boost in fundraising will help to ensure sustainability and future growth.

“We’d love to be able to, at some point, expand with more staff and being open longer to serve more people. But even to meet where we’re at right now, we need to raise some funds and awareness,” said McLean.

“The funds are to keep it running well, and the awareness is for the people who really could tap into the Lighthouse and receive help.”

After factoring in hydro, wages, and food costs, the average price for one meal is $9.50, and last year alone, over 8,300 meals were served. The average cost was $9.26 per meal in 2024.

Awareness of the Lighthouse is also key, according to Taylor, as it is a lesser-known charity in Orangeville.

“I’ve been told we’re the best kept secret in town because people don’t know about us. So it’s important for us to get the word out that we’re here and ready to help,” said Taylor.

The idea for Lighthouse Week was sparked after the Orangeville Blues and Jazz Car Show, in which the Lighthouse participated. The not-for-profit organization had a booth with free juice and scones, where it shared information with community members about its soup kitchen. The booth was also to gauge how many people in the community know about the Lighthouse’s free lunch program.

“Probably about 95 per cent of people had no clue what we did. One guy asked if we sold fish and chips – so we realized we need more awareness, and that’s what this was birthed out of,” said Taylor.

McLean noted that when he goes grocery shopping for the Lighthouse, many cashiers are surprised to learn there’s a soup kitchen in town.

“They have no idea, so this Lighthouse Week is important for just getting that information out there, that we run a service for our community that’s really important. The people we support are like family,” McLean said. “It’s an important and safe place for them to feel that they’re taken care of, and get at least one meal a day.”

Here is a list of the local businesses supporting Lighthouse Week:

• Mochaberry and Quest for Cakes will both be supporting the Lighthouse for the duration of Lighthouse Week. Mochaberry will run a coffee fundraiser and Quest for Cakes is donating Lighthouse themed treats.
• On Monday, Aug. 4, Montana’s in Orangeville will be donating a portion of its sales to the Lighthouse.
• From Tuesday, Aug. 5 to Saturday, Aug. 9, Bluebird Café will be donating $2 from every pizza sold.
• On Thursday, Aug. 7, M&M Food Market in Orangeville will donate 10 per cent of its sales when customers make a request at the cash register.
• On Saturday, Aug. 9, Orangeville’s Pizza Pizza will donate 50 cents from every slice or full pizza purchased.

In addition to local businesses, churches in the area are big supporters of the Lighthouse. The Compass Community Church in Mono recently donated a portion of the proceeds it raised from the Compass Run for Food in June.

Donations in support of Beard Be Gone & Hair Be Cut can be made online through the “Giving” tab at theuptownchurch.ca or dropped off at the Uptown Church in-person during office hours.

E-transfers are also accepted through giving@theuptownchurch.ca. Just be sure to send a separate email sharing your name, address, phone number, email, donation amount, designation (Lighthouse or general offering), and e-transfer password.

The Lighthouse is open to anyone in need of a warm meal, friendship and belonging.

“We create a sense of community and a safe place for people to come at the Lighthouse. They get a meal, but we do other things to make them feel secure. We pray for them and we try to point them in the right direction with the County [of Dufferin]. We have outings at Teen Ranch, and we just try to make it a safe place for everybody to come,” said Taylor.

“Come check us out. We look forward to meeting new people.”

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