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“Incredible” group a force for good in difficult times

Cathy Dobson Sarnia’s Rod Medwid says there are days he can’t quite believe how much this community is willing to give.
MedwidPetley family photo
Rod Medwid, wife Kendra Petley, and children Kingsley, 7, and Brixton, 15 months. Submitted Photo

Cathy Dobson 

Sarnia’s Rod Medwid says there are days he can’t quite believe how much this community is willing to give.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Medwid, a married father of two who, with wife Kendra, launched a Facebook group to help local restaurants survive the pandemic.

Their idea of providing a central place for eateries to post their menus has exploded. The group’s membership is nearing 11,000 and now includes other types of businesses as well.

Supporting Sarnia Businesses during COVID 19’ has recently helped struggling families and individuals.

“A lot of people have ideas but Rod and Kendra make it happen,” said Michelle Nelson, a mental health counsellor at St. Clair Child & Youth Services.

Two months ago, Medwid had the idea of helping foster families by brightening their day with a donated restaurant meal. He appealed to members of the Facebook group and asked Nelson to help co-ordinate.

“My mom was a foster parent and I know how hard she worked to get (the foster kids’) lives into a good place,” he said. “It’s work that doesn’t pay much, so I decided to ask pizza places in the group to donate dinners to foster families.”

The response from pizza shops was immediate. And the offers didn’t stop there.

Restaurants of all kinds offered free meals, individuals stepped up with donations to pay for more, and the local delivery service On the Dot offered free delivery.

“This is your city, this is our city, and it rocks,” said On The Dot co-owner Molly Hartman. “Rodney and Kendra have been incredible partners during the COVID 19 challenges we’ve all faced.”

Fifty free meals were delivered to foster families in September. So many now want to help the program will be able to deliver to two foster families weekly for at least six months.

“We all know what it’s like to raise your own kids and can imagine what it’s like extending that same love and attention to non-biological children who often come with extra challenges,” said Nelson.

“This is just an incredible thing to do,” said Dawn Flegel, executive director of the local Children’s Aid Society.

Sarnia-Lambton has 40 children in foster care and another 141 in kin families, which are grandparents, aunts, uncles and neighbours raising children when parents can’t.

“Offering a night off to them from cooking is such a credit to our community,” Flegel said.

Supporting Sarnia Businesses During COVID 19 has spawned other acts of kindness as well.

In early October, Jake Cherski of Philly Cheese Jakes helped a local family when one member needed neurosurgery. Cherski discounted a week’s meals and delivered them personally to the man’s home.

The patient’s mom thanked him publicly on the Facebook site, and 300 people saw the post describing his generosity.

“I think in a way COVID-19 has helped Sarnia gel as a community,” said Cherski. “There are so many positive things going on out there.”

After Mike Thompson saw so restaurants helping out he wondered how his engineering firm could pitch it.

“It inspired us to come up with our Community Koozie Campaign,” said Thompson, of Rally Engineering.

Koozies, or coolie cups, are on sale for $5 each, with all proceeds used to purchase gifts cards from local businesses. Rally Engineering is taking nominations for individuals and organizations that have done something “above and beyond” and will reward them with gift cards.

Details are posted on Supporting Sarnia Businesses During COVID 19.

“This group is a place of positivity,” said Thompson.  “It’s a voice for local business too.

“It’s exactly what we need in a time like this.”


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