On July 8, our community gathered at Beaverdale Golf Club for a very special milestone: 30 years of Friendship Golf.
For three decades, this event has united our community around a shared belief that everyone deserves a place to belong. A simple day on the golf course has become one of House of Friendship’s most cherished traditions, raising critical funds and awareness for men experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region.
Thanks to your generosity, Friendship Golf 2026 raised over $66,000 in support of ShelterCare.
This incredible achievement reflects a community committed to ensuring men experiencing homelessness have access to dignity, healthcare, stability, and hope.
To our golfers, sponsors, volunteers, silent auction donors, staff, and supporters… Thank You!
During the luncheon program, House of Friendship CEO, Jennifer Scott, shared updates on the impact made possible through ShelterCare.
Since opening in 2023, ShelterCare has become an innovative model of integrated shelter and healthcare, helping men access the care and support they need to stabilize and move forward.
To date:
These numbers represent real people who are rebuilding their lives. They represent healthier communities. They represent hope.
While ShelterCare receives funding to operate essential shelter services, there remains an ongoing gap between what funding covers and what people actually need to heal and move forward.
Events like Friendship Golf help bridge that gap.
At the Friendship Golf banquet, attendees had the opportunity to participate in a special fundraising initiative called Fund Belonging.
Inspired by the stories shared by CEO Jennifer Scott and keynote speaker Jenny Harris, supporters rallied around five urgent ShelterCare needs:
A Place to Belong
Bridging Healthcare Gaps
Mobility Aids
Life Skills Programming
Emergency Crisis Response
Each gift represented someone choosing to invest in another person’s recovery, health, and future.
Fund Belonging remains open, and we invite anyone who was inspired by the stories shared at Friendship Golf to help us reach our goal.
One of the most powerful moments of the day came from our keynote speaker, Jenny Harris (“Nurse Jenny”), ShelterCare’s on-site Registered Nurse.
In an incredibly courageous and vulnerable presentation, Jenny shared her own journey through addiction and recovery, reminding everyone in the room that healing is rarely simple—and that none of us are immune to life’s challenges.
She spoke candidly about the barriers she faced, the people who showed up for her when she needed them most, and how those experiences shape the care she provides today.
Her story was a powerful reminder that ShelterCare is about more than services.
It is about ensuring people are seen, known, and treated with dignity.
As Jenny shared: “Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is simply letting someone know you are not alone.”
Thirty years ago, a group of caring community members had an idea. Today, that idea continues to change lives.
As we look ahead to the future of Friendship Golf and the future of ShelterCare, we are reminded that real change happens when people come together around a shared purpose.
Thank you for believing in this work.
Thank you for supporting ShelterCare.
Your gift today can help furnish an entire apartment, or what is needed most. Provide a warm welcome home at Friendship Village today!
