Homelessness and food insecurity

Join us in person for an eye-opening panel discussion tackling the tough topics of homelessness and food insecurity. Hear from passionate experts and advocates as they share stories, challenges, and solutions. It’s a great chance to learn, ask questions, and get involved in making a difference. Don't miss this important conversation!
Networking session to follow.

Speakers: 

David Ferreira

Councillor David Ferreira is the City Councillor for Ward 13 with the City of London. A London, Ontario native, he was born in the city and raised in the east end and now lives in London with his partner Clare and their daughter Eloise.

On Council, David focuses on bringing the people’s voice into decision making, with a strong emphasis on accountability and keeping the public interest at the center of Council work. He is also a committed advocate for downtown, pushing to build it up to what it deserves to be as the heart of the city and a key economic and cultural driver. He consistently supports heritage preservation, community engagement, and strengthening neighbourhoods, particularly the older, established communities that make up Ward 13. 

He’s also focused on housing affordability and building more stability across the housing continuum, from protecting existing rental stock to supporting new housing that actually meets local need. A major priority has been strengthening London’s response to homelessness by backing outreach, shelter and basic needs, and pathways into permanent housing, with an emphasis on prevention and supports that help people stay housed. He regularly pushes for practical, accountable approaches that balance urgency with long term outcomes, while keeping neighbourhood impacts and community wellbeing in view.

He serves on Council committees including the Community and Protective Services Committee (former Chair and vice Chair), and Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee, and sits on several boards including the Covent Garden Market Board, the Dearness Home Committee of Management (vice Chair), the Governance Working Group, and the London Downtown BIA. 

Chris Moss
Chris Moss is the Executive Director of London Cares Homeless Response Services, leading strategic initiatives to address homelessness and improve housing stability in London, Ontario. With over 28 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, Chris has guided organizations through complex challenges, specializing in governance, strategic planning, and social enterprise development. Her career includes senior roles with Pillar Nonprofit Network, Cheshire Homes, and the YMCA, as well as a decade of consulting for organizations across Canada.
Chris is a trusted voice in the sector, frequently contributing to public dialogue on housing and homelessness through media and community forums.

Sarah Campbell
Sarah Campbell is the Executive Director of Ark Aid Street Mission.
Ark Aid strives to serve the marginalized, rough-living community in London, Ontario, by providing basic needs and an opportunity for wellness that is lacking for those living with deep personal struggles and in poverty.
Sarah’s passionate advocacy for social work started as an avid fundraiser in her church. She went on to help with child protection, aiding women who are victims of violence and domestic abuse, and health service coordination.
As Director of Community Engagement & Development at London Middlesex Community Housing, she amplified the voices of underserved populations and gained a clear understanding that housing is the basis of personal and community health.
As Executive Director of Meals on Wheels, Sarah spearheaded the efforts to help ensure the food security and basic health of homebound people.
Today, as Executive Director of Ark Aid Street Mission, Sarah works with all social engagement agencies in the city to provide meals, clothes, shelter and warm beds on cold winter nights for hundreds of London’s citizens who have nowhere else to go.
As a mother of four thriving children, the most important goal Sarah strives for with her family, clients, staff, volunteers, neighbours and partners, is a sense of community with safety, security, compassion, love and hope. Ark’s vision as established by Sarah, is to establish a place where in God’s great love, all people are welcomed in our community where they are Beheld, Beloved, and Belong.

Kevin George
Kevin George is an Anglican priest and educator currently serving as Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Ontario. He holds a Bachelor of Education from Memorial University of Newfoundland, a Master of Divinity from Huron University College, and a Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary. Kevin has served in parish and cathedral ministry across Canada, including a curacy in Labrador West and long-term leadership roles in Tecumseh and London, Ontario. His ministry is shaped by a deep commitment to pastoral care and public theology, and by a conviction that the church is called to engage the life of the city with humility and hope.

Keisha Joseph
Keisha Joseph is the Food Program Coordinator for Indwell Community Homes. Her work supports marginalized groups with their food security, focusing on increasing food literacy and food access. Keisha discovered her passion for community nutrition and food security while completing her undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics at Western University. She believes in the power of education, agency, and asset-based community development. She serves as the Chair of the Middlesex London Food Policy Council and actively advocates for a more sustainable, just, and accessible food system.

THERESA FORREST

Theresa Forrest operates a boutique paralegal firm in London and was a former paralegal studies instructor. She has close to 30 years of legal experience in Canada and the US. Theresa represents in Family law, Professional discipline, Contract breaches, Privacy issues, Human Rights, and Domestic violence.

She is trauma-informed, with a special focus on the challenges of persons with PTSD, anxiety, and other psychological disabilities.

Her best accomplishments are her children, a psychology student, and a US Marine corporal providing legal services in Colorado. In her spare time, she is the family genealogist and collects finger puppets.