Esquimalt, B.C. community volunteer celebrates 75th birthday by providing hundreds of meals for others
Greg never expected to be spending periods during his retirement wondering whether to buy food or pay rent.
“It’s a tough decision,” the 75-year-old says. “Keeping yourself alive or keeping a roof over your head.”
So you can image how Greg felt when he was offered the choice to get a free, hot lunch at a nearby community kitchen.
“Coming here is a lifesaver for me,” he says.
After a few years of being a Rainbow Kitchen guest, Greg decided to become a volunteer.
“What’s the use of being a couch potato?” Greg smiles. “When there’s a place like this you can help out.”
Greg’s been volunteering for more than a decade now, doing everything from tidying up the driveway to picking up produce donations.
“He’s a 75-year-old volunteer that comes every day,” Patrick Johnstone smiles. The executive director of the Victoria Rainbow Kitchen Society says Greg’s enthusiasm is infectious. “There’s no stopping his motivation to help.”
Even on his birthday, Greg stopped by to volunteer over the lunch rush.
“It’s kind of hard to think about yourself when people are in need,” Greg explains.
It’s also hard to believe what Greg requested for his birthday.
He asked for the team to make his favourite meal of Salisbury steak, garlic-onion mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. Plus an extra dessert.
“Oh yeah!” Greg says, mashing the potatoes. “It’s going to be good.”
But the thing is, the meals are not for Greg.
“He wants the community to feel loved,” Patrick says. “So he provides an entire meal to the community out of his pocket.”
Over the past two years, Greg saved what little he had so he could celebrate his day by serving about 400 others.
“It’s all his finances,” Patrick smiles. “It’s all his love and passion.”
Greg says his 75th birthday celebration has made his big heart feel overwhelmed, which is exactly what he’d hoped for. The best gifts you can receive, he smiles, are the most heartfelt ones you can give.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
New analysis of Beethoven's hair reveals possible cause of mysterious ailments, scientists say
High levels of lead detected in authenticated locks of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair suggest that the composer had lead poisoning, which may have contributed to ailments he endured over the course of his life, including deafness, according to new research.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
B.C. man used Bobcat as 'weapon' while chasing away homeless people, judge says
A B.C. man has been convicted of assault with a weapon after using a skid-steer Bobcat to chase two homeless people from his lawn, injuring one of them in the process.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.