This Saskatchewan woman is helping fill bellies and hearts with a free grocery store
Darlene Hartshorn is a mother and grandmother from Warman who is making a difference by helping those who need a hand up.
“I decided we needed to do something, so we opened the Hand Up Cupboard,” she told CTV News.
Hartshorn converted her attached garage into a free grocery store full of donated items. The shelves of her small one room store are filled with food and toiletries. Toilet paper and baby items are always in high demand.
“We had hockey players, cheerleaders, independent stores, schools, donating. It was absolutely amazing,” she said.
Those groups all donated before Christmas, providing about 200 kilograms of food and supplies in that December drive alone.
Her store is open twice a week, and shoppers are invited to stock up once every two weeks.
“When they do come they do have to show proof that they live within my jurisdiction, and then, OK, we’re good to go. I’m not going to judge you. I don’t judge you. Zero judgement whatsoever,” she said.
Hartshorn isn’t surprised by the need in her community, with economic pressures hitting people hard.
“Absolutely, times have changed and especially with the food prices going up and people losing their jobs.”
Local grocery stores are pitching in to ensure essential food items are available.
“I want to make sure people get meat. When you say would you like a steak they say, ‘are you serious?’ They get pork chops, steak, hamburger, ribs, pork loin,” she said.
Darlene Hartshorn started a free grocery store to help feed folks in her community struggling to make ends meet. (Carla Shynkaruk / CTV News)
At the outset, she thought she’d be doing a lot more fundraising. Thanks to all the community support, she doesn’t have to.
“I’m not a crier but it takes everything I have not to cry because the generosity is not what I was counting on when I opened this.”
She’s helped hundreds of families and seniors since starting up 2 years ago and the stories she hears could also bring her to tears, but she wants to help shoppers focus on the positive — at least while they’re in her shop.
To help with this she put up a sign at the entrance saying “no crying in the cupboard.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hamas rocket attack from Gaza sets off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv for the first time in months
Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months on Sunday in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel's massive air, sea and ground offensive.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
Indianapolis 500 delayed as strong storm forces fans to evacuate Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed as a strong storm pushed through the area Sunday, forcing Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials to evacuate about 125,000 fans who had already arrived for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
At least 9 dead in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after severe weather roars across region
Powerful storms killed at least nine people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where drivers took shelter during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
As Canada warms, infectious disease risks spread north
Cases of Lyme disease have now increased more than 1,000 per cent in a decade as the warming climate pushes the boundaries of a range of pathogens and risk factors northward.