Sudbury's Damascus Restaurant gives back to the community

On Wednesday, a Syrian restaurant in Greater Sudbury provided more than 130 homemade meals for the homeless.

The Qarqouz family said it’s their way of thanking the community.

“When we came to Canada back in 2016, we were welcomed by the Sudbury people,” said Mohammad Qarqouz.

“We saw a lot of support from them, especially when we opened our business. We are trying to give back as much as we can to the community.”

Qarqouz said it’s also part of their culture and Islam to help those in need.

“I remember when I was young, my dad used to wake me up in the morning and send me to the pita bakery, pick up pita bread and give it to our neighbours who were in need of food,” he said.

Every year since 2018, the family has been giving back to the community -- and every year, they choose a new organization to give meals to.

This year, they selected the Blue Door Soup Kitchen.

“We really appreciate his effort and helping out the people, especially this time of year,” said Bill Hickey, manager of the Blue Door Soup Kitchen.

“It really helps them out a lot, getting a nutritious meal, a warm meal. I’m glad the people in Sudbury appreciate our agency and want to help us out.”