At a time when the need to help the less fortunate is so needed, and with the holidays around the corner, many local communities have been trying to find ways to give back.
A group of baristas who work at the Stouffville, Ont., Starbucks location saw a need, and wanted to give back. They put their heads together, and for five months planned an event in partnership with City Outreach at the local coffee shop on Nov. 17. They raised roughly $3000.
“We’ve got a live DJ, and an open silent auction. We also have cup decorating, with a minimum donation for the cup. The City Outreach van is also here tonight to collect physical donations, like blankets and non-perishables,” said one of the organizers and Starbucks employee, Jacob Lafreniere.
City Outreach, which originated as the Toronto Blanket Ministry in 2010, is a donation-based and all-inclusive registered charity that provides food, clothing and assistance to those in need across the Greater Toronto Area. Initially it was created to help Scarborough area residents, but now, with the growing need, they have a goal of helping the wider population.
“We provide assistance for low income, for homeless, for people on the edge of poverty, or from marginalized communities,” said Reynolds. “And we also provide it for low income housing people.”
“We’ve got a live DJ, and an open silent auction. We also have cup decorating, with a minimum donation for the cup. The City Outreach van is also here tonight to collect physical donations, like blankets and non-perishables,” said one of the organizers, and Starbucks employee, Jacob Lafreniere.
It was a night featuring a minimum donation towards a reusable designable cup, a DJ, raffle, and food and clothing drive for City Outreach, that allowed a local community to raise donations and give back. “I think what’s really nice about being a barista in a small town, is that we got to deepen our connection with the community, especially seeing how much people have struggled,” said one of the organizers, Jessica Ratnarajah.
The group said they wanted to do the event during the holiday season, because they have a lot of customers who raise concerns about those they see out on the streets. She said this was their time to give back to those who need it.
“When we’re talking about why we’re doing this, it’s just to give back. I know how fortunate I am, so giving back to people in need is so important,” said another organizer, and barista, Rowena Canaga-Retnam. “You never know, especially in this economy now, you never know when you’re going to need something. And it’d be nice for someone to give you a helping hand.”
Reynolds said they offer anyone help who needs a helping hand, and they in addition provide food, rescue, and clothes rescue especially in the winter.
“In the winter particularly, we’ll do food. We set up tables with hot food, Starbucks gives us hot coffee… they love hot coffee. And then we get a chance to talk with them,” said Reynolds. “We get a chance to pray with them as well. We give them clothes, and then there’s one team that takes the vehicle out for street outreach.”
Reynolds said a lot of their food comes from local assistance, the Stouffville Starbucks.
“The best part about working with Starbucks is that they also match the contribution to every hour that they have been volunteering, so that’s a huge addition to donations we get today,” said Ratnarajah.
John Savelle, also with City Outreach, said they are always on the look out for those on the street that may need assistance.
But at a time when the need is on the rise, and donations aren’t enough to meet the need, charity events, like this, make it easier to help those on the streets. “There’s a lot of organizations do amazing work, honestly, and they’re providing food and clothes, which is wonderful. It’s very essential,” said Reynolds.
Michelle Min, part of the group of organizers, said it was a way for the group to spark involvement in the community. “Someday, hopefully we can take it to a larger scale, she said.
More information about City Outreach, and how to donate, can be found online.
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