Labour of love becomes ‘Lunch with Love’

ELORA – What started as a small GoFundMe idea a few weeks ago is gaining traction in Fergus and Elora as lunches are delivered to essential workers in the area.

Lunch with Love is the brainchild of retired teachers John Scott and Kathy Mayo, who thought it would be nice to show support for essential workers and give them a free lunch every now and again.

With support from Paula Allen at the Elora Café, they started a GoFundMe account and the money they raise pays for the meals.

Sarah Duplessis got wind of the initiative and agreed to take on social media to spread the word. Within two weeks, $6,000 had been collected, and lunches started going out the door.

“Elora and Fergus have always been ready for this. It’s just a great community,” Duplessis said in an interview on April 27.

The meals are prepared at the café and taken to the lucky recipient organization where they are dropped off outside and distributed internally.

Recipients are asked to take photos, which are posted on social media.

Duplessis said they deliver 25 to 30 lunches a day, four or five days a week. This week they have planned to deliver food to the local OPP and fire department.

Meals have also gone to banks, grocery stores and other organizations in the area with essential workers.

The funding helps Allen pay rent at the café; she orders food and supplies locally and that helps keep other businesses afloat too.

Attached to the meals are notes of thanks handwritten by local school children.

Duplessis said the most emotional delivery for her was at Guelph General Hospital – before hospitals stopped accepting donated meals.

“The doctors and nurses were wearing masks, but you could see they were smiling. I found it very emotional,” she said.

Also emotional are the letters, that are frank and sweet and come straight from the hearts of the children writing them.

“I’m not working right now but I’m doing okay and I need to pay that forward,” Duplessis said.

“It feels good to give and I think that’s why people have been so supportive. I’m filled with gratitude and humility by this ... I truly love this community.”

Lunch with Love is the brainchild of retired teachers John Scott and Kathy Mayo, who thought it would be nice to show support for essential workers and give them a free lunch every now and again.

With support from Paula Allen at the Elora Café, they started a GoFundMe account and the money they raise pays for the meals.

Sarah Duplessis got wind of the initiative and agreed to take on social media to spread the word. Within two weeks, $6,000 had been collected, and lunches started going out the door.

“Elora and Fergus have always been ready for this. It’s just a great community,” Duplessis said in an interview on April 27.

The meals are prepared at the café and taken to the lucky recipient organization where they are dropped off outside and distributed internally.

Recipients are asked to take photos, which are posted on social media.

Duplessis said they deliver 25 to 30 lunches a day, four or five days a week. This week they have planned to deliver food to the local OPP and fire department.

Meals have also gone to banks, grocery stores and other organizations in the area with essential workers.

The funding helps Allen pay rent at the café; she orders food and supplies locally and that helps keep other businesses afloat too.

Attached to the meals are notes of thanks handwritten by local school children.

Duplessis said the most emotional delivery for her was at Guelph General Hospital – before hospitals stopped accepting donated meals.

“The doctors and nurses were wearing masks, but you could see they were smiling. I found it very emotional,” she said.

Also emotional are the letters, that are frank and sweet and come straight from the hearts of the children writing them.

“I’m not working right now but I’m doing okay and I need to pay that forward,” Duplessis said.

“It feels good to give and I think that’s why people have been so supportive. I’m filled with gratitude and humility by this ... I truly love this community.”