Your Downtown Guelph Friends - in Memory of Kate Nixon
(Please note: All donations to this fundraiser will be sent directly from GoFundMe to Your Downtown Guelph Friends' budget through the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition. If GoFundMe doesn't work for you and you would like more information about other methods you can use to donate, please reach out to Your Downtown Guelph Friends on social media for more donation options.)
There is no easy way to say this.
Over the 2024 holiday season, Your Downtown Guelph Friends founder, Kate Nixon, passed away due to complications with cancer. As we put this statement out, we struggle to formulate words that could possibly encapsulate the immense loss that Kate’s death brings forth. How do you speak to someone as loving, selfless, empathetic, fiery, and generous as Kate? We are absolutely heartbroken, devastated, and we miss her more than words could ever say.
Kate will always be known and loved for the friend she was. She taught everyone about the sanctity of human life, dignity, and connection through her actions and convictions. Kate’s life, although devastatingly and unfairly short, will continue to impact our community for decades to come. Her love and devotion rippled through everyone she met, whether she was hunting down a pair of facebook marketplace boots for a community member, cooking a meal, or yelling at politicians; her love was always known. Her commitment to people over perfection will shape generations beyond her. She was one of a kind, and there will never be another Kate Nixon.
In the wake of her passing, her friends will continue to keep her with us at service, in community, and in deep admiration of everything she built in her 23 years. YDGF will continue to serve out Kate’s mission, with her at the heart of every decision made and every plate filled. We are deeply committed to ensuring stability and continuity of what our friend, Kate, designed.
Kate’s service will be held at The Church of Our Lady (Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate) at 28 Norfolk St, Guelph on Saturday, February 1. Visitation is at 10 am until 10:45 am. The service begins at 11 am. After the service, there will be a reception in the church hall.
If you would like to make a contribution toward ensuring the sustainability of the Your Downtown Guelph Friends program, which continues to embody Kate’s vision of community and care, you can do so here or by contacting Your Downtown Guelph Friends via email or social media.
As we contend with this horrific loss, please do not be afraid to reach out to someone or ask for help. Kate would want us to lean on each other and the healing salve of community and food. None of us grieve alone, as we did not love her alone. Below are a list of local supports:
- National Overdose Response Service: 1-888-688-NORS
"For I can see the balance and you have left the world much better than you found it, and if you ask me, nobody could do any better than that." - Terry Pratchett
Organizer
Lorelei Root
Organizer
Guelph, ON
Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition
Beneficiary