Hi, my name is Stacey, and this is my small grant story. Over the years, I’ve had many seniors tell me that, financially, they are just getting by, and that when it comes to buying groceries, especially, they have no choice but to be frugal. When it came time to submit my project idea, I decided to go with a practical one that would also connect me with some new neighbours.
Using the Nextdoor app, I posted a request: did anyone knew of a local senior who would benefit from receiving one week’s worth of free groceries? (they could spend up to $150). They would send me a list, and the groceries would be bought and delivered to their door.
The first response came from an older woman who was dealing with a disability and some upcoming challenges concerning housing. I had the privilege of meeting her at the local Discovery Foods, where she spent time choosing the items on her list- items she normally could not afford to buy for herself (such as fresh nectarines, specialty coffee, candied salmon, etc.). At the end of the grocery shop, we had a wonderful talk, and she said that being able to buy those things made her feel like a “queen for a day.”
The second response came from the family of an older man who was still living independently, but dealing with early dementia. They sent me a detailed list of easy-to-prepare meals and snacks that were his “go-to”s: items like instant coffee, chocolate milk, Mr. Noodles, quiche, pie, etc. After buying and delivering his groceries, his family said that it was “indeed a blessing”. I am so thankful to God for the opportunity to have met these new neighbours in Black Creek!
With the remainder of the grant money, I got two gift cards of $75 each from Discovery Foods, and waited for an opportunity during the Christmas season to give them to two local seniors.
The Neighbourhood Small Grant program has been a huge blessing to me, as it gave me a chance to meet new people in my neighbourhood, and an opportunity to help them out in a small way. Thank you!
