HUDSON, Que. — Lou-Anne Hood never imagined she would need to ask for help to feed and clothe her two teenage boys. But when she lost her job just before the holidays, her family had nowhere to turn.
“It’s very tough, it’s humbling,” said Hood.
“But my job as a Mom is to feed my kids, it doesn’t matter how, if I have to ask for help, I ask for help, so we did!”
Hood was moved by all the support and donations she received after reaching out to a local group on Facebook called Community Connections: St-Lazare, Hudson, Rigaud & Vaudreuil-Dorion.
“I’ve always been a giver, a helper, so for me to have received help was really hard,” insisted Hood.
“But it was a godsend, it saved me!”
The mother of two now wants to pay it forward by opening a free store for people in need in her community.
But she knows she can’t do alone, so once again she turned to the administrator of the Community Connections Facebook page, Shirley Hunt.
“When Shirley agreed to be my partner and we put it on Community Connections, it blossomed!” said Hood, who now hopes to help at least a dozen families.
So far, there are at least seven drop-off locations in the area, including Bricolo, a ceramic cafe in Vaudreuil.
“When we heard about this we wanted to participate,” said the Bricolo’s owner, Rania Gad.
“There’s a lot of people suffering.”
Employees are amazed by the number of bags customers keep dropping off.
“I think it’s wonderful!”
“There’s a lot of families who have come and dropped stuff off,” said Lyn Robinson.
“People who have children themselves and they understand what people are going through, it’s very altruistic!”
Back in Hudson, Hood and Hunt are sifting through the garbage bags and boxes full of clothing, some with the tags still on.
“I am overwhelmed by some of the things that are coming in, beautiful clothing!” said Hood
“Some of the baby items and toys are just like new!”
The woman behind the Facebook page is proud to have helped orchestrate such a unique chain of kindness.
“There’s more people in need than you’re even aware of because nobody wants to admit it,” said Shirley Hunt.
“I know when I was young and needed help, I know how difficult it was!”
The location of the Community Free Store, which is set to open on April 18, is being kept confidential to respect the privacy of families in need.
For those wishing to make a donation, they can reach out via email to Shirley Hunt or Lou-Anne Hood.
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