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
NDP wants Liberals to scrap proposed election date change that could secure pensions for many MPs
The federal New Democrats want to amend the Liberal government's electoral reform legislation to scrap the proposal to push back the vote by a week and consequently secure pensions for dozens of MPs, CTV News has learned.
Drive one of these vehicles? You may pay 37 per cent more than average insurance costs due to thefts
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
Doug Ford suggests immigrants behind Jewish school shooting
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested immigrants are to blame for the shooting of an empty Jewish school in Toronto over the weekend, despite police saying they have little information on the suspects.
Supreme Court won't hear appeal in Montreal brainwashing experiments case
The Supreme Court of Canada will not review a Quebec ruling that bars people from suing the U.S. government in Canada over its role in notorious brainwashing experiments at a Montreal psychiatric hospital.
Donald Trump can sue niece over NY Times article, court rules
A New York state appeals court said Donald Trump can sue his niece Mary Trump for giving the New York Times information for its Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 probe into his finances and his alleged effort to avoid taxes.
Shania Twain shares how she forgave her ex-husband's cheating: 'It's his mistake'
Shania Twain recently addressed the infidelity that rocked her marriage to Robert 'Mutt' Lange, whom she divorced in 2010 after he had an affair with her friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud.
Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of homeless man in downtown Toronto
One of eight teen girls charged in the death of a homeless man in downtown Toronto has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Princess of Wales to miss major military display next month amid cancer treatment
Catherine, Princess of Wales, will not be returning to royal duties with an appearance at the Colonel’s Review, a military parade in London in early June, as she continues her treatment for cancer.
Police arrest 19-year-old suspect after Montreal triple homicide
Police have made an arrest following a deadly street fight that ended with three people killed in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough last week.