Hamilton nurse’s Feast in the Hammer gives $20K to local restaurants and feeds those in need

Hamilton | Business | Community | Latest News |

By

Published March 11, 2022 at 2:35 pm

Hamilton nurse's Feast in the Hammer gives $20K to local restaurants and feeds those in need
Another round of Feast in the Hammer in the books and in its second year, the initiative raised $20,000 and helped even more food-insecure residents.

Another round of Feast in the Hammer in the books and in its second year, the initiative gave nearly three-times as much money to local restaurants as the year prior and fed even more of the city’s most vulnerable citizens.

Jule Freeman started Feast in the Hammer in 2020 as a response to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic brought to the Hamilton restaurant industry and the city’s food-insecure residents.

“It just made sense to try to support restaurants as best I could and support people in the community,” she told inTheHammer.

Freeman, a 38-year-old registered nurse and clinical informatics specialist for Hamilton Health Sciences set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to purchase meals from local restaurants and deliver them to charities and not-for-profits that help feed the community.

“I love the restaurants in Hamilton — old and new; they’re doing exciting things,” she said. “I really want them to stay open when all of this (pandemic) is over.”

Last year, Feast in the Hammer raised over $7,000 and delivered 500 complete meals. This year, the program raised $20,000.

The original plan was for Freeman to deliver the meals herself but public support was so overwhelming that she required some help.

“I might have bitten off more than I can chew,” Freeman joked during last year’s initiative. “But I have a lot of family and friends who are willing to help out if I need it.”

This time around, Freeman was ready. She rounded up 17 volunteers, including Hamilton Tiger-Cats lineman Chris Van Zeyl.

Restaurants supported

  • Alamin Charcoal
  • Alfredo’s Place
  • Bon Temps
  • Born and Raised
  • Brux House
  • Cake and Loaf Bakery
  • Caro
  • Curbside Grill
  • Falafel Papi
  • Giuseppe’s
  • Gown and Gavel
  • Mat Salleh
  • Merk Snackbar
  • Moody’s
  • No Bones Kitchen
  • One Duke
  • Premier BBQ House
  • Rony’s Charcoal Chicken
  • Seasoned Restaurant
  • The Bard and Bear
  • The Burnt Tongue
  • Toby’s Good Eats

Organizations Supported

  • Community Fridges HamOnt (Beasley, Gilkson and Crown Point)
  • Compass Community Health
  • Good Shepherd – Martha House
  • Good Shepherd – Mary’s Place
  • HamSmart
  • Living Rock Youth Centre
  • Mark Preece Family House
  • Salvation Army – Booth Centre
  • The Warming Centre at The Hub
  • YWCA – Carole Anne’s Place
  • YWCA – Transitional Living Program
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising