For the third year in a row, the Orillia Lighthouse Soup Kitchen and Shelter has been chosen as the benefactor of the local Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign.
Smile Cookies will be available for purchase in Orillia stores from Sep. 13 to Sep. 19 with proceeds benefiting the Lighthouse.
Lynn Thomas, development and communications manager with the Lighthouse, says their partnership with Tim Hortons over the last three years has been remarkable.
“Over the last several years, the local franchisees have been fantastic partners of the Lighthouse. We are quite thrilled that Tim Hortons is so invested,” she said.
Thomas says it’s not only exciting to be supported by the iconic Canadian brand, but also the people who own and operate the local shops.
“It may be a big corporation but these franchisees who support us are local," said Thomas. "They live here, they work here, they employ many people in our community, and our participants find safety and care in those local Tim Hortons locations.”
The local Tim Hortons franchisees have supported the Lighthouse through various avenues beyond the Smile Cookie campaign, she said.
“If ever we have an event, they almost always provide coffee and hot chocolate, Tim Hortons cups, Timbits ... everything,” Thomas explained.
“They have been incredibly generous, and they have stepped up in many ways to help the vulnerable population and the whole community.”
In the last two years, the Smile Cookie campaign has raised over $101,000 for the Lighthouse.
The funds raised were put toward the new shelter and community hub that will be opening soon on Queen Street. Inside that facility will be the Tim Hortons Coffee Centre which will provide coffee 365 days of the year for participants, staff, and volunteers.
“I think all of the people who walk through our doors to have a nice meal will appreciate having a nice hot cup of Tim Hortons coffee,” Thomas said.
The fundraising goal for this year’s Smile Cookie campaign in Orillia is $55,000. Funds raised will once again go directly into the new shelter and community hub.
“We are getting closer to our capital goal, but there are so many needs that are going to arise and we want to be in a position to give people the help they need,” Thomas said.
Jane Hardy, food services manager at the Parry Sound Memorial Camp for Tim Hortons, has been deployed by Tim Hortons to support community initiatives and is now volunteering at the Lighthouse.
Hardy says it was important for Tim Hortons to choose the Lighthouse for the Smile Cookie campaign for the third straight year to show their commitment to supporting vulnerable people in the Orillia community.
“All of the Tim Hortons restaurant owners are passionate about supporting the community and this is a perfect way to contribute,” Hardy said.
“There is such a need in Orillia and other communities to support the homeless, so here we are. It’s a natural relationship for Tim Hortons to have.”
