Recently, staff were surprised and delighted to welcome a new member to the Santropol Roulant donor community. One day, we received a message from Heather, a former member of the Beekeeping Collective at the Roulant, with a special message accompanying a donation:
“This gift is on behalf of my son, William (8 years old), who is deeply concerned about food security for people in Montreal as a result of the hardships caused by the pandemic. This gift comes from his personal spending money.”
The whole team was touched by this act of care and so, with the help of his mom, we reached out to get the inside scoop on William’s story to share with you all.
What’s your favourite thing about the Roulant?
The worms! William was fascinated when his mom and dad described the full-food cycle that happens at the Roulant, but he loves the idea of worms in the basement the most.
What do you think makes a good community?
Lots of people need to work together toward a common goal, and they need to all keep the goal in mind as more important than their own particular contribution.
Why do you think it’s important for people to help others, especially now?
More people are at risk of dying because of the coronavirus, and providing food that is tasty and healthy will keep people more healthy.
If you were a vegetable, which vegetable would you be?
A fruit — the ground cherry! They’re his favourite… you never know what flavour it is going to be (sweet, sour) until you open it up. He also loves that ground cherries announce their readiness to be eaten by falling to the ground, which is similar to his favourite diving board move, the Cannonball.
Lastly, at the Roulant, we’re all about desserts. What’s your favourite dessert and why?
Ice cream. Especially homemade ice cream. We made mint chocolate chip ice cream with mint that William collected from our community garden, and William thinks that is the best EVER!
At the Roulant, we are proud to have a diverse community of members who give in different ways, who engage to the degree that they seek, and who all have an impact!
We wanted to share this inspiring story with you to help you feel connected to your community, and to let you know that we see your impactful gestures of care on a daily basis.
Your messages of love and encouragement, your stories… They lift us up and allow us to create deeper connections with the people who make up the Roulant at a moment when it is challenging to physically come together.
We thank you for that, and hope to hear from you more—whether it’s a message with your next donation, or a message just for fun!