"Make and Take" - Daily journal by Lynne

What could our shelter do with a $50,000 donation?

There are many issues facing women who are leaving or who have left abusive relationships. One that we identified and consider to be a major issue is that of food. We ‘appear’ to have so much access to food both quantity and variety—but for many people who are financially disadvantaged food is a big issue. What should I buy? What can I afford? Then there is the added pressure of following some sort of health guideline.

Last year out of the blue someone called our shelter. He was originally from our area in Northern Ontario and he and his wife wanted to donate a ‘significant’ amount to our shelter. I never dreamed that ‘significant’ meant $50,000—in fact—I thought it was a joke but when that cheque arrived I knew it was no laughing matter. On the spot— the couple quizzed me about what we would do with that sort of donation. I spoke about public awareness, resources for the shelter and then we chatted about the issue of food—from buying to preparation to access. I talked to them about a vision I had for a program. They were intrigued.

One year later a program has been developed called, “Make and Take”. We have a huge area to cover so in three different locations in our District the program is running for 8 weeks. Week one started last week. Each week is dedicated to a theme. The women will gain knowledge and bring their own ideas to contribute to this group and will take the prepared food home with them.

The vision is fairly simple: share, learn and leave with a meal! We hope this helps—even for a short time.

This donation has really changed life for us in a very positive way—I don’t think this couple will ever know what a huge impact their generosity made on the lives of so many women.

Lynne
Executive Director