A $150,000 donation to Sarnia's Inn of the Good Shepherd will help the nonprofit provide shelter and food for those in need.
Progressive Auto Sales presented Inn Executive Director Myles Vanni with the unexpected contribution late last month.
"This was a tremendous gift, out of the blue," said Vanni. "[They] had been looking for a place to make a donation, an impact in the community -- the Progressive Auto Sales team -- and I guess they had talked to a few people who said 'you know, The Inn would be a good place to use that support.'"
Vanni said the money will certainly help out their food bank.
"We're spending a lot more on food than we've ever done before, because food drives and our baked food events have dried up. Pre-COVID we'd spend $3,000 a month on food, and we're spending $25,000 a month on food right now."
Vanni said the Inn is also looking at using some of the donation for housing projects. He said getting people housed is the biggest challenge the community is facing right now.
"Particularly the number of homeless from COVID. We're down to about 140 homeless in our care right now down from a high of 240."
Vanni said they actually want to get people out of shelter.
"Shelter's not a great place for them. We're closing out the motels and we're settling some people in our central overflow shelter -- the old Central United Church -- but the dollars here we're looking at will help get people housed, getting them into apartments, so they can be independently living and not living in the shelter."
Vanni said the high cost of rent is a particular challenge because it's beyond some people's income. He said the Inn may be able to use some of these dollars to bridge the gap for a year or two as a rent supplement.
Progressive is lined up to be the lead sponsor of the Inn's CANStruction initiative this spring, an event which hasn't taken place since 2019. Vanni said fingers crossed, they'll be able to host CANStruction this time around, adding that about a dozen teams are already signed up.
-With files from Stephanie Chaves