Prince Albert family spreading cheer to homeless community

By Nigel Maxwell

A Prince Albert family is doing their part to help spread some holiday cheer to those who may need it the most.

Vanessa Farrow has been delivering food to people who live on the street. The tradition started six years ago and came about after a Christmas dinner.

“We had a huge meal so my kids and I made plates, and we took them downtown and delivered them,” she explained.

Acknowledging some people may have concerns about what she’s doing and whether it’s safe, Farrow said everyone she has met has been super gracious and humble.

“You know they say things like ‘God bless you’ or they’ll tell us, ‘I haven’t eaten in a couple days.’ They’re always wanting to talk,” Farrow said.

Estimating she goes about two to three times a month with soup and sandwiches, or something even from a local drive-thru, Farrow explained she feels really bad when seeing how many people in the community live on the street.

“A lot of times when you read the comments sections on the news about the unhoused people, there’s a lot of negativity. I just think these are human beings,” she said.

When Farrow first started, she made about 10 plates and had leftovers. But now numbers have climbed, and they never seem to have enough.

Jesse Campbell has provided baked goods to Farrow on a number of occasions. Campbell is also the co-ordinator of a city project named Artists in Communities and works with Farrow’s partner Kevin Joseph.

“We were talking through this project about the nature of our city, the makeup of our city and the issues that are the most vital right now,” she explained.

Together they came up with the idea that by building relationships with some of the people on the street, they may be able to encourage some of them to be a part of an artistic project.

“So there’s a big long-term vision,” Campbell said.

Campbell also applauded the work done by Farrow and Joseph.

“I think that what they are doing, just like providing food and giving someone a smile, and saying hello and asking what’s up, that’s one of the most humane and generous acts and I think that everyone should do that,” she said.