DUNNVILLE—True Experience (TE) has been supporting the Dunnville community for over 40 years offering safe housing, work experience, and support to those struggling with their mental health – plus, they’re great cookie decorators.
One of TE’s long-term community support projects has been part of the annual Smile Cookie campaign, offering their certified kitchen and volunteers to help raise funds for Dunnville Hospital and Healthcare Foundation. This past week Tim Horton’s launched a new holiday-themed cookie fundraiser, which saw 50% of the proceeds benefitting the Tim Hortons Camp Foundation and the remaining 50% donated to a local charitable organization of the restaurant’s choosing.
DUNNVILLE—For years the True Experience work program has provided those with mental health struggles the opportunity to work at their own pace while giving back to their community. The inaugural Tim Horton’s Holiday Smile Cookie campaign saw True Experience staff, work program employees, and community volunteers (two shown above) coming together for a good cause and tasty treats. 
DUNNVILLE—True Experience Work Program employee Randi Bergstrand mans the baking station. —Submitted photos. 
DUNNVILLE—True Experience members Leo Wilson and Randy Prest hard at work decorating cookies. 
DUNNVILLE—From True Experience workers to Santa’s elves, many people worked hard to keep the cookies coming. 
DUNNVILLE—Mikhayla Iozzo-Lohrum got a little starstruck meeting the Cookie Monster during one of his deliveries.
In addition to being responsible for “the whole kit and kaboodle” of the behind-the-scenes efforts in the Dunnville campaign, TE was chosen as the inaugural (and very worthy) benefactors of the 2023 holiday cookie sales as thanks for their continued support of the cookie events.
“We were thrilled that we were chosen as recipients,” said TE Executive Director Rhonda Geyer.
TE’s work program is designed to give people living with mental health issues the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to their community through a variety of tasks and jobs.
“We tailor our program specifically to our client’s abilities,” said Geyer. “Sometimes we have folks who can only go out one day a week, maybe a morning shift, that’s all their mental health can handle and that’s okay…. We work to their abilities and what they’re most comfortable with.… Everybody needs that feeling of pride and responsibility.”
The program benefits the community too: “A lot of times, seniors can’t shovel their snow, they can’t clean up their yard, they can’t do that lawn maintenance.… (By helping with these tasks) we enable the seniors in our community to stay independent longer in their own homes.”
While the program suffered some pandemic-related challenges, Geyer shared, “Our services are all back up and running again. Our biggest challenge is funding.”
TE’s work program employees were busy with all parts of the cookie campaign too, from baking to delivery: “They’re used to working together very well in the work program on a day-to-day basis, so this really isn’t a whole lot different, it’s just a little more fun.”
Geyer continued, “Everything we do is a team effort. It has really turned into a well-oiled machine, and I am so proud of everybody. My staff has been working around the clock and the same for our volunteers. As a community, the outpouring of support from our peers has been absolutely incredible.”
While the final tally raised was not available as of press time, Geyer confirmed they “significantly surpassed our $15,000 goal, which is incredible!” The cookie sales surpassed expectations so much that the team needed to use the classic chocolate chip cookie base part way through the event, having run out of the holiday themed cookies.
The funds will make a dramatic difference for the vitally important, but underfunded organization.
“We’re a non-profit organization; some of our programs have no funding,” said Geyer, noting the supportive housing home Trillium Manor as an example, with an annual budget around $50,000. “We have to rely on community donations just to keep the doors open.”
She said failing to meet their annual targets is not an option: “That would leave seven individuals who live with significant mental health issues homeless.”
Beyond just the funds, Geyer hopes the campaign has raised TE’s profile: “There are still people in the community who have no idea who we are or what we do…. My goal for this campaign is really to raise awareness about True Experience; who we are and what we do, and what we offer in our community for mental health.”
In addition to the work program, TE offers two different levels of housing support, and a variety of community outreach opportunities.
Geyer touched on the ongoing need for supportive housing in the community, adding, “We get calls and referrals almost daily now for supportive housing and we just don’t have the homes…. That’s where most people fall through the cracks.… We’re such a small organization; we don’t have the funds backing us to purchase the homes. It’s frustrating.”
Despite the challenges, Geyer remains optimistic and thankful of the support from the local Tim Hortons and community at large.
She pledged to keep TE moving forward at any cost: “You keep fighting the battles. I keep putting out letters of support, and reaching out to the government, and looking for grants. Any nook or cranny where we can apply for funding or a grant, we’re all over it.”
The Haldimand Press will provide an update on all Haldimand holiday cookie sales, and the charities they’re supporting, in next week’s edition.
