A hot sauce company from Sarnia, Ont., is helping to support those vulnerable during the novel coronavirus pandemic, one bottle at a time.
Joshua Lines from Top Shelf spoke with 980 CFPL’s Mike Stubbs Friday to explain their most recent initiative.
“When COVID-19 hit, (I) started talking with the people at United Way, and I proposed that anywhere in Canada where a bottle of Front Street Heat is sold, that a dollar be donated to their Local Love in a Global Crisis Fund,” Lines explained.
“Everyone at United Way really loved the idea, and approved it.”
The fund is aimed towards providing those vulnerable with access to food and other basic needs, crisis-related supports such as counselling and social connection programs and other services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lines says Front Street Heat is sold across Canada, and anywhere in the country where a bottle is sold, “… that dollar is going to the locality that it’s sold in, and the United Way is helping me track that and distribute the funds.”
Front Street Heat has a red roasted pepper base, “so it’s great for steak, ribs (and) also amazing in a Caesar cocktail,” Lines said.
Locally in London, they’re sold at all Metro locations and at both Sobeys locations.
A local chocolatier is also helping to support the community in light of the pandemic.
Marc Forrat, the owner and chocolatier of Forrat’s Chocolates, had launched an initiative called Forrat’s Feeds Families, where he makes chocolates, sells them, and uses the money to put together food kits for low-income Londoners.
“We’re manufacturing 40,000 raspberry velvets that will be made with a new type of chocolate (called) ruby chocolate,” Forrat explains.
“(Each box contains) enough in there to hopefully last a month for a large family of four, but we’re not going to discriminate (when) giving (kits) away — it could be a single mom with two kids, and that will last her a lot longer.”
Within less than a week of the initiative’s official launch in May, Forrat had sold enough chocolates to feed 10 families.
Forrat’s chocolates are sold online and at Real Canadian Superstores in London.