Sudbury students allow homeless organization to buy a stove

Students at Cyril Varney Public School in Sudbury recently held a fundraiser that will allow an organization that serves the homeless to purchase a new stove.

Sisters Isabelle and Makenzie Moore presented Bizzzy Bea’s with cheque a few days ago. “Our class together we wanted to do a book fair and we all voted and Bizzzy Bea's won and so we asked our whole school for books and a bunch of donations and we set up and it was really fun selling them and we raised 530 dollars,” says student Isabelle Moore.

The organization was based around several people in the Sudbury area cooking meals from home for the homeless in downtown Sudbury.

They were shut down in April by the Health Unit.

“We were under the assumption that if you weren’t selling and you were cooking from home you’d be able to hand out we have learned since differently and that’s why we have stopped the feeding for now. We are currently actually redoing a certified kitchen that we are very excited to open back up so we should be up and running in hopefully two weeks,” said Chantelle Dupuis, Bizzzy Bea’s Founder.

Dupuis adds that the kids shocked her and she is impressed that it was an idea that came from them. “It’s very touching to be able to receive such an enormous gift and the money that they raised we were actually able to put it towards a brand new stove for our kitchen, so that little bit of work that they think was just one day and was so simple turned out to be something that’s so huge for all of our friends and family downtown.”

Prior to the closure, Bizzzy Bea’s was providing up to 600 meals a week.

Makenzie also recently completed a passion project through her class. “I asked my friends, family and community to help out and I collected items and money for the Genvera house and Womens centre.” she said.

She was able to donate several items along with a cheque for $575.

“Cyril Varney is really implicated in the community and I’m just really proud that the teachers give them that spark to want to come back,” says Julie Lavallee, the girls mother.

The girls say this is just the beginning for them and Makenzie hopes to continue to give back to the Genvera house annually.

They hope their story inspires others to find what they are passionate about.