Jessica Topfer, Author at Lindsay Advocate

Hungry in Kawartha Lakes

Published on April 11, 2021 in Social Issues by Jessica Topfer

Forty years after the first Canadian food bank opened its doors, Kawartha Lakes Food Source leader says the root causes of food bank use are still with us

Neil Couch first visited a food bank in 2011. A particularly challenging divorce that year had left him homeless, living at A Place Called Home.

He’d had a colourful life. After returning from active duty in the Canadian Armed Forces between 1986 and 1994, Couch found himself struggling with PTSD and turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with his anxiety and night terrors. As a master corporal, he was based out of West Germany, and had done tours in Somalia, Cyprus and Afghanistan.

Keep Reading

A Place Called Home moves towards housing continuum model

Published on December 18, 2020 in Community/Social Issues by Jessica Topfer

A Place Called Home (APCH) is at a critical turning point.

Their 19-bed homeless shelter was already at 100 per cent capacity when the first wave of COVID-19 necessitated they move their clients into motel rooms.

Now the number of individuals in their care hovers around 50 people.

Keep Reading

A sustainable solution for your used shoes

Published on October 13, 2020 in Business/Environment/Social Issues by Jessica Topfer

BioPed Lindsay is calling all Kawartha Lakes residents to put their best foot forward by donating used shoes for a good cause.

Keep Reading

Return to a post-secondary education during COVID-19

Published on September 27, 2020 in Opinion by Jessica Topfer

In August of 2014, I sat in my bedroom scrolling through the Trent University website, nervously selecting courses for the first year of my undergraduate studies. Fast forward six years, and I found myself nervously scrolling through the website again, selecting courses for the final year of my undergrad. This time though, my nerves are caused by a new uncertainty – COVID-19.

Keep Reading