As the holiday season approached this year in Barrie, Ont., something truly heart-warming was baking—not just in Tim Hortons ovens, but in the spirit of giving throughout the community. The 2025 Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign once again proved that a simple act—buying a cookie—can lead to extraordinary impact, raising $134,518.74 for local charities at a time when community needs are greater than ever.
A Sweet Tradition With Big Heart
From November 17–23, customers at Tim Hortons restaurants across Barrie eagerly purchased the festive Holiday Smile Cookies, knowing that 100% of the proceeds from every cookie sold would remain in the community to support local efforts. This year the total funds raised—$134,518.74—was split evenly between the Barrie Food Bank and Tim Hortons Foundation Camps, with each receiving $67,259.37.
These cookies are more than just a treat—they are a symbol of community generosity. Adorned with cheerful sprinkles and hand-decorated with a smile, they represent the spirit of the season: joy, kindness, and shared purpose. With every cookie sold, people weren’t just satisfying a sweet tooth—they were actively making life a little easier for their neighbours in need.
Meeting Mounting Community Needs
The donation to the Barrie Food Bank couldn’t have come at a more critical time. Food insecurity in the Barrie area continues to worsen, with the organization reporting 8,128 client visits in the last month alone, a 16% increase over last year and more than three times the levels recorded before the pandemic.
Karen Shuh, the Executive Director of the Barrie Food Bank, emphasized how significant these funds are especially during this period of heightened demand. She reminded supporters that the act of buying a cookie might seem small, but collectively it becomes an act of compassion and community care—one that helps families, seniors, and individuals struggling to make ends meet.
The donation also gives a meaningful boost to the Barrie Food Bank’s “Close The Gap” Holiday Campaign, which aims to raise $1,160,000 to keep pace with growing local needs. At the time of the Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign’s success, the “Close The Gap” initiative was already at 75% of its goal, thanks in part to the support from events like Smile Cookie Week.
A Community Pulling Together
What makes this campaign special is not just the amount raised but the story it tells about community involvement. Thousands of Barrie residents participated in the campaign by purchasing cookies, showing that giving back can be deliciously simple. Whether someone stopped by for a coffee and a smile cookie or picked some up for friends and family, each purchase directly benefited their community.
This local success story also parallels a much larger picture across Canada. The Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie campaign at the national level has been extraordinarily successful, raising an estimated $13 million for charities, community groups, and Tim Hortons Foundation Camps in 2025 alone.
But it’s the impact at the local level that is felt most tangibly—where dollars translate into food on tables and support for people in real need. In Barrie, that impact has helped provide essential fresh, nutritious groceries, strengthen food recovery efforts, and extend hope to people during the hardest time of year.
More Than a Fundraiser—A Symbol of Hope
For many families in Barrie, winter brings added challenges: higher heating costs, less seasonal work, and the stress of holiday expectations without the financial stability to meet them. In such times, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or alone.
That makes initiatives like the Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign more than a fundraising effort—they become symbols of collective optimism and human kindness. They show that even small moments of joy (like buying a cookie) can have ripple effects that reach far beyond a moment’s sweetness.
“We are profoundly grateful,” Shuh said, acknowledging not only the dollars raised but the compassion and care from Barrie residents, Tim Hortons restaurant owners, and staff who supported the campaign.
Looking Ahead
As the Barrie Food Bank and other local partners continue their work through the “Close The Gap” campaign and beyond, the funds from the Smile Cookie initiative will help ensure resources are available for many households in need. The support these funds represent will help keep community members nourished and connected during challenging times.
The success of the Smile Cookie Campaign is a testament to what’s possible when local businesses, volunteers, and everyday citizens unite around a common goal: building a community where everyone can thrive. In Barrie, that message is clear—hope is baked in every bite.
