Last fall Jordan Farber, Qualico’s manager of banking, took part in the CEO Sleep Out and toured Main Street Project’s emergency homeless shelter.
He saw the gas-fired stove that our staff prepared clients’ meals on. It was old, battered and had to be lit with a piece of rolled up newspaper.
“Unacceptable,” he thought.
Jordan’s experience at the shelter sparked something within himself and eventually, his coworkers. Shortly after his tour Qualico graciously donated a new commercial gas stove worth over $7,000 to help our shelter provide for those in need..
“The corporate community needs to step up and take a lead role,” said Jordan. “While buying a stove certainly won’t solve the homelessness issue, hopefully it will inspire others to support organizations like Main Street Project. While we all wish that shelters like Main Street Project didn’t need to exist, the reality is that they do. As leaders in the business community we need to be there for our local community.”
When you work with some of the city’s most vulnerable, as we do, you often have to make do with what you have to keep people fed. Food security is central to people’s health and wellbeing. In addition to being homeless, our clients often suffer from chronic illness, mental health issues and addictions. Nutritious, hot food and a roof over their heads are the bare essentials.
Winnipeggers have big hearts. Some things are more than they seem. A new stove is not just a new stove – it’s a hot meal. It’s the difference between hunger and starvation, sickness and health and in some cases, life or death. It’s also a morale booster for our amazing staff who are committed to helping people who are unable to help themselves. We’d like to thank Jordan and the team at Qualico for their generous donation. This will go a long way to help serve our community.
Find out how you can donate or get involved with Main Street Project.
