An initiative aiming to help put food on the tables of folks in need is continuing in honour of a longtime New West resident who launched the program.
In 2020, retired city councillor Lorrie Williams launched a local initiative that encouraged people to place a food item a day in a box, with the food hampers helping out local folks in need. In December 2020, community members dropped off 70 boxes of food at Greens & Beans Deli, and the boxes were donated to Monarch Place, the Lower Mainland Purpose Society, Saint Barnabas Church and the food bank.
Leona Green, co-owner of Greens & Beans, and former councillor Chuck Puchmayr are resurrecting the initiative this year in honour of their friend. Williams remains hospitalized after suffering a stroke on Aug. 7.
“She would be doing something right now if she could, but she can’t,” Green said. “So, we are just going to do it for her.”
Green invites community members to bring a box containing non-perishable food items to the deli on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Puchmayr will be transporting the donations to a local food support program.
“It’s all going to go to the Don’t go Hungry program to fill their shelves. We are not actually going to hand out hampers,” she said. “They are feeding a lot of people.”
When Williams launched her initiative in 2020, she told the Record that she knows from personal experience what it’s like to be struggling at Christmastime.
“When I was a teenager, we had to have a Christmas hamper. My stepfather left. We didn’t have much money. When he left there was no income,” she said at the time. “At first when they delivered the box, I turned it down – you know how proud teenagers are. Mom came home and said, ‘Where is the box?’ She retrieved it.”
Boxes can be dropped off at Greens and Beans Deli in Sapperton, 143 East Columbia St.
“I think it will make her happy,” Green said about Williams.
Every Saturday, Don’t Go Hungry provides free grocery hampers to anyone in need at four locations, three in New West and one in south Burnaby.
Comfort items
On Dec. 3, Green launched another charitable initiative aimed at helping folks stay warm this winter. When people dropped off socks, gloves and scarves – comfort items – they received a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup – comfort food.
“It went really well. Besides getting a ton of stuff, we got $310 in donations and then somebody matched the donations so we have $620 in donations,” she said. “People will be dropping stuff off for the next couple of weeks, so we are going to have a ton.”
Items can be dropped off at Greens and Beans until Friday, Dec. 23. They will then be dispersed to a variety of organizations around town that help folks in need.
