12/15/2025
Newmarket mental health clinic Cadence Health and Wellness is gathering donations for Christmas dinner packages for local veteran and first responder families.
The clinic focusing on veterans and first responders is holding a donation drive until Dec. 19 looking to help those families in need. The organization said that many families face financial challenges and unexpected hardships, and they want to help make sure that they can enjoy a stress-free holiday.
Cadence co-founder Angel Dupee said that as the spouse of a veteran herself, she knows the challenges that can happen in their life, such as transitioning out of the military and waiting for a steady income to come in.
“This is more so our way of giving back to the community, since we know firsthand what that’s like,” she said. “We do have some clients here that we’re hoping to help … We all know things aren’t cheap these days.”
This is the first time the organization has had a holiday drive like this. The campaign has been ongoing since Nov. 28, with the organization looking to collect grocery gift cards and food donations.
Dupee said they are hoping to be able to get Christmas dinners for at least a couple of families in need.
“They’ve given so much in their career choice,” she said. “Things happen. Anything we can do to give back, to say thank you, is what we’re hoping to achieve.”
The donation campaign has gone well so far, she said, with some gift cards and non-perishable items coming in.
She said they would be happy to help as many families as they can; the more the better.
“We’re open to helping anybody,” she said. “We’re just hoping the community can possibly come together to give back.”
Cadence will be collecting donations until Dec. 19. You can drop off donations at 625 Davis Dr., scheduling a dropoff by emailing info@mycadence.ca or calling/texting 905-235-3734. The organization asks for people to arrange a drop-off time beforehand.
“Your kindness and generosity will bring warmth, relief, and a sense of belonging to those who truly deserve it,” the organization said on social media.
