Hope House Guelph seeks volunteers after record tax returns for locals

Hope House Guelph Community Food Centre is recruiting volunteers after its tax clinic helped local low-income households secure $7.3 million in refunds and benefits this year. The push is backed by a $264,000 grant and comes as the organization prepares to keep tax support running year-round.

Why it matters: - Hope House Guelph’s tax clinic helps low-income residents claim refunds and benefits that can unlock housing, health care, and other basic supports. - The clinic’s results also show how free tax filing can translate directly into income stability for people facing homelessness, addiction recovery, and other barriers. - The volunteer drive is designed to keep the service available year-round, not only during tax season.

What happened: - Hope House Guelph Community Food Centre is asking community members to volunteer as tax preparers and greeters. - The organization is holding two volunteer information sessions at Hope House in Guelph, Ontario. - Session 1 is Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. - Session 2 is Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. - Registration is available through the volunteer sign-up form.

The details: - From Jan. 1 to Aug. 17, 2026, the clinic helped 1,916 participants file 2,831 tax returns covering tax years 2016 through 2025. - Those filings secured $1,492,392.74 in direct tax refunds. - The clinic also helped clients receive $5,821,762.82 in benefits, including GST/HST, the Ontario Trillium Benefit, the Canada Carbon Rebate, the Canada Child Benefit and the Canada Dental Benefit. - Total direct income secured reached $7,314,155.56. - Staff completed 513 additional tax-related support tasks tied to dental plans, housing renewals, utility assistance and uncashed CRA cheques. - Hope House estimates those additional tasks connected clients to about $1 million in extra support. - More than half of participants used in-person services. - 13.5% of participants were referred by partner social agencies. - The local expansion is supported by the Resilient Futures project, a $60 million national initiative funded by the Government of Canada’s Social Development Partnerships Program in partnership with Prosper Canada. - Prosper Canada is also aiming to raise an additional $12 million to expand free financial help nationwide. - Hope House Guelph received a $264,000 grant over three years.

Between the lines: - The tax clinic is doing more than filing returns. It is functioning as a gateway to benefits and follow-on supports that can stabilize daily life. - The volunteer ask suggests demand is strong enough that Hope House wants to protect service capacity before the next tax season. - The national funding model points to a broader effort to scale financial empowerment services for people with low incomes across Canada. - The initiative is aiming to reach traditionally underserved groups, including Indigenous peoples, Black communities, people living with disabilities, rural and remote communities, and official language minority communities. - One clinic participant said the service reduced financial stress, helped unlock housing access and allowed a focus on recovery.

What's next: - Hope House Guelph will use the volunteer sessions to build a team for the next tax season and maintain year-round support. - The broader Resilient Futures initiative runs from Oct. 1, 2025, to March 31, 2029. - Over five years, the national program aims to reach 1 million Canadians and connect them to $2 billion in benefits. - Residents interested in volunteering can register through the volunteer sign-up form.

The bottom line: - Hope House Guelph says a relatively small volunteer team can help unlock millions in income support for local households, making the clinic a high-impact community service worth sustaining.