Kelly DeRidder on Safe communities

ucators — thank you for the dedication you show in shaping the next generation. Have a wonderful school year! 🍎✨ #BackToSchool #kitchenercentre #Community #SafeSchools

lenges — they are human ones, and they deserve thoughtful, long-term solutions. As your MP, I’m committed to working toward a full-circle approach that addresses the root causes and supports real recovery: ✅ End taxpayer-funded “safe supply” drug programs that keep people trapped in addiction ✅ Give judges the ability to mandate rehabilitation and mental health treatment, instead of cycling people through jails or shelters ✅ Invest in real recovery, not just rhetoric — with support for detox, mental health services, and long-term healing ✅ Rapidly boost housing supply by cutting red tape and requiring municipalities to build — while ensuring housing supports don’t ignore addiction or community safety We need to move beyond short-term fixes and deliver compassionate, evidence-based solutions that help people rebuild their lives. That means treating addiction and mental illness with the seriousness they deserve — and ensuring our housing and justice systems are part of the solution. #KitchenerCentre #HomelessnessCrisis #AddictionRecovery #MentalHealthSupport #RehabNotRhetoric

e safety, dignity, and healing. 💪💖 In support of the Domestic Violence Victims Alliance (DVVA), Retail Therapy was launched as a thrift and consignment store to strengthen DVVA’s ability to support survivors of domestic violence. Their brick-and-mortar shop is located at 150 Victoria Street South, Kitchener. Every donation, purchase, and volunteer effort has helped fund critical mental health support, legal aid, and emergency resources for those rebuilding their lives. 💻 Learn more or donate: dvva.ca #RetailTherapyKW #DVVA #SupportSurvivors #ThriftInThePark #ConsciousShopping #CommunityCare #DomesticViolenceAwareness #kitchenercentre

were taken (for privacy and safety reasons), I want to share some of the powerful impact this organization made over the past year: 📊 April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025 Impact Report: • 4,043 people reached through prevention and education • 2,285 crisis support phone calls and chats answered • 1,297 outreach clients supported • 395 individuals sheltered — 198 women and 197 children These numbers represent lives changed — and in many cases, lives saved. What also stood out to me is the Engaging Men program, a unique initiative providing one-on-one and group counselling for men — all of which is voluntary. With three dedicated male clinicians, this program fosters accountability and healthier relationships, creating safer communities for everyone. Thanks to support from the Waterloo Region Upstream Fund, education among men has increased by 35% in the last year alone. This is community care in action — and it’s making a real difference. 💜 #WomensCrisisServices #SupportSurvivors #EndViolence #EngagingMen #WaterlooRegion #CommunityImpact #GiveHope #kitchenercentre

undation to support sending vulnerable kids at risk of child abuse and neglect in Waterloo Region to camp and local resilience-based programming. This year, registration was full with 50 stands. An amazing community initiative for such a wonderful cause. Thank you for having me! PS the lemonaid was delicious!! 😋

families and children and my promise to listening first, acting always. Thank you for your support and your belief in me. Link to the full speech in the first comment

upport for families and children; anchored by my promise of listening first and acting always.

s are at the heart of everything I will do in Ottawa. I also want to take a moment to recognize the dedicated volunteers who made this journey possible. Their passion, hard work and unwavering commitment carried me to this moment. I am not standing here alone; each and every one of them is here with me. My husband, Chris, my mom, my closest friends, my dad and my daughter, Abigail, are my strength, my motivation and my greatest supporters. Their love and belief in me have guided me every step of this path, and I am forever grateful. To my predecessor Mike, I say thanks for his service to Kitchener Centre. I will continue to be a strong advocate. Kitchener Centre is more than a place on a map. It is where I was raised; it is where my heart belongs. I attended J F Carmichael, then Queensmount, and went off to Forest Heights, before completing my education at Conestoga, where I earned a diploma in mechanical engineering, specializing in robotics and automation. My career in management has spanned over 18 years, focusing on effective communication, fiscal responsibility and policy creation to improve efficiencies. These are principles I will carry with me into public service. I grew up in a home where money was not plentiful, but resilience and determination were abundant. I was taught the value of hard work, ambition and the belief that, with effort, anything was possible. That was the Canada and the home that I grew up in, a place where dedication and perseverance could lead to home ownership, financial security and a good life in a safe neighbourhood. Today, those dreams feel farther out of reach for many. This reality is one that I will fight to change. I am committed to building a future in which affordability is not an obstacle, jobs provide stability and communities are free from the devastating impacts of addiction and crime. I am here to listen. I am here to act. I am here to make sure that every person in Kitchener Centre has the opportunity to thrive. The rising cost of living has tightened its grip on families, young professionals and seniors alike. I heard the stories at the doors: parents stretching every dollar, young people questioning whether they can afford a home or local businesses trying to stay afloat amid increasing expenses. Affordability is not just a word; it is the difference between stability and struggle, between hope and hardship. During the campaign, I had the opportunity to tour the Waterloo regional food bank. While I was deeply impressed by its efficiency and dedication, I found myself grappling with the unsettling reality, the sheer scale at which such an operation is needed in our community. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of new households accessing food hamper programs for the first time skyrocketed by 210%. In that same period, 29,786 hampers were distributed to families in need, for an increase of 109%. These staggering numbers are a direct consequence of the rising cost of living, which is forcing more and more people to turn to essential support services just to put food on the table. This is not just an economic issue; it is a human one. It is a call to action that demands urgent and meaningful solutions to ensure that no family in Kitchener Centre or beyond has to struggle for their basic needs. We must forge policies that ease this pressure, ensuring less taxation, affordable housing and stability for our communities across Canada. Equally vital is my commitment to job creation. Kitchener Centre has long been a hub of innovation, with a thriving tech industry and entrepreneurial spirit. However, opportunity must be more than a promise. It must be a reality for every worker, every student choosing to stay in the region while entering the workforce and every small business daring to dream. We must invest in key technologies and industries: green technology, the arts and creative sectors, advanced manufacturing, med tech, deep tech, AI and more. We need to implement policies that empower our people and drive investment, ensuring our economy is sustainable and future-proof. Today, our community has an opportunity to forge a new path ahead, and we are well positioned to do so. We must support the initiatives of the leaders of our industries on a federal level to ensure a prosperous future for Kitchener Centre. However, amid these ambitions, I must address the harsh reality that so many of our neighbours face: this drug crisis. It is a crisis that is not just statistical and not economic; it is profoundly human. I have listened to the voices of families who have lost loved ones; frontline business owners and workers grappling with its impact; and communities, especially in our downtown core, caught in the crossfire of addiction and crime. One conversation that deeply resonated with me was with Cynthia, a constituent from Kitchener Centre. Not only has her business suffered because of this crisis, but she also brought to my attention a critical issue: the Alexandrian. It is a residential building in the heart of our downtown, which is not alone. This building is home to many newcomers to Canada and low-income families, including children of all ages. These children deserve to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment, yet they are exposed to the harsh daily realities of downtown life. Criminal activity unfolds right in front of them as they wait for the school bus or play in the nearby park. This is unacceptable. The safety of all of our children must never be an afterthought. It is our responsibility to ensure that they can live, learn and play in communities free from fear. The solution is not stigma; the solution is compassion and treatment. We must expand access to mental health support, strengthen rehabilitation programs and ensure that no one falls through the cracks. I recently had the opportunity to speak with members of our outstanding Waterloo Regional Police Service, who shared with me that in 2024 alone, they responded to over 11,000 incidents in our downtown core. Since January, the WRPS has been actively collaborating with our local BIA on initiatives aimed at addressing these challenges and enhancing community well-being. To further support these efforts, we must take a firm stance on crime and repeal the soft-on-crime provisions in Bill C-5 and Bill C-75. These policies have made it more difficult to hold repeat offenders accountable and have contributed to a revolving door in our justice system. We need to ensure that individuals who repeatedly victimize our communities are kept off our streets and that those responsible for trafficking deadly substances such as fentanyl face the most severe penalties, including life sentences for kingpins. I did not enter public service to offer empty words. I am here to work for the single parent balancing two jobs, for those living under the poverty line, for the young graduate searching for stability, for the entrepreneur building something new and for the countless individuals wanting a second chance. Kitchener Centre is not just my riding; it is my heart, and I vow to work for it with every ounce of my dedication. To my fellow representatives in the House, I say let us move forward with courage and conviction. Let us not simply acknowledge these challenges but solve them. Let us prove through action that public service is more than governance: It is the unwavering pursuit of a better future. Together we can build it.