Small steps lead to big impact as new local iniative provides free hot meals to those in need

For some, COVID-19 isolation can mean not having regular meals, especially if they are struggling with a layoff or reduced hours on their paycheck. Thankfully, there are wonderful community resources available to help, including the Whitecourt Food Bank. Still, even with those resources in place, it can sometimes be challenging to reach out and ask for help. Back on April 23, three local friends were chatting about how they could help others. Up popped the idea for an initiative that would allow someone to enter a restaurant and receive a meal without having to pay for it.

Tara Baker, Dana Severson and Wendy Lynn Poirier are the faces behind Kindness Matters Whitecourt. All three are well known locally for their awesome acts of volunteerism and their unquenchable thirst to do things for those in need. “We are likeminded people, and we all have our part in this. The idea came up, we had a quick talk, figured out the logistics and the next day it was rolling,” explained Baker. The trio reached out to Freddy’s 2 for 1 Pizza in Whitecourt. “We asked them what they thought about it, and if it was feasible for them to take part. The meal had to work for them logistically, and we wanted it to be as filling as possible.”

The restaurant decided to be part of it and chose a pasta portion, with a slice of garlic toast, as the free meal. “They had such a willingness to be part of it, and they helped us brainstorm how to make it work. Putting this together has been an incredibly positive experience,” smiled Baker. So, curious about how it works? The concept is simple. Kindness Matters WCT has an email address set up where interested community members can donate, and every dollar goes straight to providing meals.

“For five dollars, you can buy a meal for someone. We put sticky notes on the window at Freddy’s 2 for 1 Pizza, and each sticky is worth one meal. Anyone who needs a meal comes in, grabs a sticky, and exchanges it for a serving of pasta. No questions asked. They will get delicious food with a friendly smile.” Baker said that this type of initiative removes barriers because they do not have to ask for it; it is just there. “They don’t have to qualify or apply for it. Nobody has to say anything at all. They walk in, grab a sticky from the window and walk to the till. The whole point is inclusiveness so that anyone can feel comfortable getting a meal.”

Within two short days of making their first video on Facebook to explain the initiative, Baker said that they received an overwhelming response from the community. “We had over $600 in donations come in, and right now, we have enough for a couple of hundred meals. We want to make sure this is sustainable so that people know the help will be there for them should they need it.” As stickies are removed from the window and used, Baker said that she, Severson, and Poirier would be replacing them with new stickies.

Baker’s experience with starting up the Community Lunch Box has helped her in this venture because she knew that continuity was important. “You have to make sure it can continue. We must build that trust with those that need help so that they know the stickies will be up there for a long time. They might not need help today, but they might need help next month, or the following month, and we want them to know the help will still be there.”

Now, the biggest part of the initiative is getting the word to those that need it. “I know about it, and others know about it, but do the people that need the help know about it? It took a little bit of time for word to trickle out, but now we are seeing stickies being taken off the window and used. It’s a great feeling.” Over a week or so, roughly 20 stickies have already been used. That is 20 hot meals to people who needed a boost and were able to get it thanks to community kindness.

“Many people are doing great things here in Whitecourt, and this isn’t to take away from what they are doing. Kindness Matters is here to help fill a gap. Anything new done in the community is never to take away from anything else already being done. It complements all the other resources and helps keep as many people fed as possible.”

Though the initiative started because of COVID0-19, Baker said that she wants to see it continue forward well beyond the pandemic. “You never know who needs a hot meal, and when. In the winter, these meals will potentially mean even more.” She added that any other businesses that want to join the Kindness Matters movement are more than welcome to reach out. “If anyone wants to help in their own way, then great. I know lots of other places are doing their own thing to help people. It just shows how awesome our community is and how much our community supports kindness.”

Donations are anonymous, as are those that use the service. “Anonymity was important for us. We are all part of it together.” Donations are gladly accepted by emailing kindnessmatterswct@gmail.com. Community members are encouraged to join their Facebook page “Kindness Matters WCT” to stay up-to-date with the initiative as it grows. Baker asks everyone to share the news about the meals with friends and coworkers so that the information can reach those that need it faster. “Kindness Matters shows the love in our community, and it shows that people want to help. There’s nothing better than that.”