It is a busy time of year at Calgary's Community Kitchen Program.
The program originated in the heart and mind of Marilyn Gunn.
Gunn says she found out when she was working downtown that some of her younger co-workers didn't always have enough money left over to feed their families.
“When I retired 22 years ago I said to my husband, I want to give back to this great city that gave us so much and I want to help people and I knew in my heart that I had to do this and so I started the Community Kitchen Program in my laundry room,” said Gunn.
The program quickly outgrew her laundry room and today occupies a warehouse in the northeast.
Joan Nordin is a former chair of the Community Kitchen board but became its chief operating officer when Gunn was dealing with cancer.
Nordin says working alongside Gunn has been inspiring.
“She's a mentor, she'll cry with you, she'll laugh with you, she'll motivate you, she'll tell you exactly how it needs to be done. That's a Marilyn thing, but everything that usually she does, it works,” said Nordin.
Community Kitchen does more than provide low cost food to people.
Through its Calgary's Cooking Program it teaches meal planning and preparation at a reasonable cost.
Lorrie Herrick manages the program and started as a food recipient before becoming an employee.
Of all of Gunn’s initiatives, one that's really touched Nordin is Tummy Tamers, which provides hot meals to needy kids in the summer when school feeding programs are not in operation.
“To see some of those kids coming in and not having anything to eat and realize that Marilyn birthed that program to give to the kids, it just breaks my heart,” said Herrick.
For all she does to help hungry Calgarians, Marilyn Gunn is this week's Inspiring Albertan.
(With files from Darrel Janz)
