Residents of Stratford apartment building continue to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner together

Simple Dreams Ministries co-founder Richard Kneider and volunteer Ian McNaughton of Scott’s Moving & Cartage hand a ham, potatoes, frozen vegetables and a pie to Gary Goulding and Hugh Livingstone, both residents of the apartment building at 25 Cawston St. For years, the residents of that apartment building have been coming together to cook and eat Thanksgiving Dinner thanks to Simple Dreams’ annual Thanksgiving Giveaway.

Though it is less common these days amid growing isolation, residents of a Stratford apartment building all know each other’s name, greet one another when they pass in the halls and enjoy those day-to-day neighbourly interactions that, in many places, seem to be a thing of the past.

Though that wasn’t always the case, for over a decade, residents of the apartment building at 25 Cawston St. have been among those who have benefitted from Simple Dreams Ministries’ annual Thanksgiving Giveaway. While most who take home a ham, a bag of potatoes, frozen vegetables and a pie free of charge do so to feed their family or a smaller group of friends and neighbours on Thanksgiving, the residents at 25 Cawston have used the giveaway as an opportunity to build community within their building.

“Once we got wind (of the giveaway), Rose Feltz from our apartment, she got in touch with (Richard and Ruth Kneider, the founders of Simple Dreams) and I helped her with it over the years,” said Gary Goulding, a resident at 25 Cawston. “We just post a sign up on the board; who wants to come and, if they can’t come down, we’ll take a plate up to them. That’s what we’ve been doing all along, and the odd time, we’ve had people from outside the building come in – like visitors and families.”

According to Goulding, there had been a Thanksgiving dinner organized for residents by the building superintendent prior to this one, but after the Thanksgiving Giveaway began, it made more sense to turn it into a communal effort.

As most of the building’s residents are seniors, many of whom live alone, the opportunity to work together to cook a huge meal, and then sit together and enjoy it in fellowship, is too good to pass up each year. Some residents, Goulding explained, even cook dishes of their own to share with their friends and neighbours, ensuring there’s more than enough food to go around.

“Right now, we’re in a 67-unit building and we’ve got over half the tenants coming to dinner,” said Goulding, adding that this year’s meal will be prepared and served on Tuesday so even those residents who have plans for Thanksgiving weekend can attend.

One of the big benefits in hosting this dinner each year is it’s the perfect opportunity for new residents to meet their neighbours and make new friends.

“My wife and I just moved in,” said Hugh Livingstone, who was on hand with Goulding at Bethel Pentecostal Church Oct. 9 helping to pick up the hams, potatoes, vegetables and pies from the Kneiders and their volunteers. “ … Gary asked me if I would help him out, and my wife is going to do some of the cooking. To me, what’s the value of a potato in a pot when someone else has nothing to eat? We’re all here for a reason, to help out each other. A bag of potatoes doesn’t mean as much to one person as it does to 30 or 40.”

For Richard and Ruth Kneider, the Thanksgiving tradition at 25 Cawston is illustrative as to why they’ve worked so hard over the past 14 years to ensure locals have a meal to share with others this time of year.

“It’s exciting for us because you’re bringing people together who normally may not get together for Thanksgiving,” Richard said. “You think of when somebody has just moved into the neighbourhood – they’re new to the neighbourhood – then you invite them. Or maybe somebody just lost a loved one – a partner – and they would be spending Thanksgiving by themselves. By doing this, it brings people together, and that’s what it’s all about.”

“(The residents at 25 Cawston are) testimony as to why we’re doing this,” Ruth added. “Sure, food is something to eat, but it’s also something that can make neighbours friendly with one another. When they walk out that door … now they’re reminded, ‘Oh, I just ate with you. I am going to have a conversation with you now.’ And that’s what we want. We just want people to befriend one another and not to be afraid of each other.

“ … It’s about building community.”