PORT WILLIAMS, N.S. — It’s a way to make the season brighter for women and children in need of greater support.
For the second year, The Noodle Guy in Port Williams put on a meal and Christmas celebration for the women, children and staff of Chrysalis House.
Chrysalis House executive director Ginger MacPhee said the owners and staff donate their time to plan the event, line up musical performers, donate the food and even provide presents for the kids.
Ross Patterson, who co-owns The Noodle Guy with his wife, Erin, said they put on the evening for the clients and staff of Chrysalis House instead of holding their own Christmas party. He said the community has been good to the business and he sees the evening as a way to give something back.
“We kind of take for granted that everyone is in a good situation,” Patterson said.
He works with someone who once needed help from Chrysalis House and he recognizes that we all experience ups and downs in life. Patterson said the meal is about dignity, not charity. Being able to provide such an evening to the people at Chrysalis House means more to him than receiving any present.
“For me, it’s just a really small thing we can do within our community,” he said. “Pretty much everything I do is community based and it just seemed like a natural extension for our business to just reach out a little bit.”
Following the dinner, he received a card from the people at Chrysalis House that said, “Thank you for making the season a little brighter.”
MacPhee said the act of kindness on the part of The Noodle Guy is a good reminder for people that you can make someone’s life better through very simple gestures.
“It’s so heartwarming that they would put that much thought and time into doing something special,” MacPhee said.
Amid the chaos of the daily challenges that everyone is facing, the residents and staff don’t have many opportunities to celebrate and spend time together. MacPhee said they do their best to have holiday traditions and activities at Chrysalis House, but to step outside that space and to be treated with so much kindness and care is something that’s really special to all of them.
She said that, in most of our lives, Christmas is a high-pressure season with many expectations. Basic activities that most people take for granted aren’t everyone’s experience.
“People forget that this can be a very challenging time of year for anybody, and when you add all of the extra stresses and challenges that women are facing being in the shelter, to be able to do a normal evening out and celebrate the season is a really powerful way of showing them that they matter and that they’re important to the community,” MacPhee said.
Kirk.starratt@kingscountynews.ca
DID YOU KNOW?
Chrysalis House is a safe, non-judgmental environment providing shelter and outreach services for women and children. These services include support, advocacy, referrals, resources, public education and community development.
The Chrysalis House Association is working toward the construction of a new shelter through an initiative called Project Renew. The plan is to break ground this coming spring. For more information or to donate, visit https://www.chrysalishouseassociation.org/project-renew.
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