Sometimes life can lead you into a downward spiral, and before you know it, you’re left with nothing. That’s what happened to Rob Lahaie.
He lost everything – including his job as a vehicle painter at an autobody shop – and was forced to head to the Ottawa Food Bank.
“I got involved in a lot of bad things. Let’s say alcohol, drugs… It was the thing that took over me all the way,” he said.
“And I had a good job, made great money. Had pretty much anything anyone would want. And I lost it all because of that. It shows you how bad addiction is.”
Initially, seeking help from the food bank wasn’t easy for Lahaie. “The first time I went to the food bank to get food, I was in tears actually. I was wearing sunglasses. I didn’t want anyone to see me.”
But the agency didn’t just feed Lahaie – it saved his life.
After discovering food bank fare included a lot of canned goods, he enrolled in a cooking class to figure out how to make the most out of his supplies.
With his new skills, Lahaie became a food bank volunteer, wanting to share his expertise. He created a new course for low-income men, called “Men Can Cook.”
Ottawa Food Bank coordinator Maurice Courchesne told Global News, “I knew he was a really good cook… I said ‘Why don’t we start a small cooking class?'”
Lahaie points out, “Most of the time when (food bank patrons) get stuff, they don’t know what to do with it. And then they have a hard time making a meal, and then sometimes, they don’t even eat.”
Courchesne agreed. “Some people, they come to the food bank and they don’t cook the stuff. They just open the can and they eat straight from the can.”
“From that, we decided to give them a hand so they can cook at home.”
Lahaie said he enjoys being able to give back. “It makes me feel real good. It shows that what I’m doing is actually something, that’s working,” Lahaie said. “I love helping all the people.”
Courchesne’s goal is to feed the hungry. “That’s a guy when he goes home, he has nothing to eat. With that class, we show them how to cook and also, if we have some (food) left over, we give them some to go home.”
All the ingredients for the class are donated. Local farmers provide the organic meat.
For some of these men, it’s their best meal of the week. But that’s not the only benefit. The class allows them to bond with others in the same situation. “In this group here, a lot of people can make friends easily. It’s something that everyone enjoys, I think.”
While Chris Prefontaine thinks “Men Can Cook” is a lot of fun, he sees its value beyond a good, home-cooked meal. “It gives you a lot of experience to move up into higher places to work. I think it’s a experience for job opportunities.”
And opportunities have opened for Lahaie since he started Men Can Cook. In addition to volunteering his time at the food bank, he now works two jobs at local restaurants.
His life has been transformed, and he credits one man, his best friend, Courchense.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my friend Maurice. He saved my life,” Lahaie said.
Follow Dawna on Twitter: @DFriesenGlobal
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