It appears as if Douglass Street in Outlook is where out-of-the-box ideas centered around giving back to the community come to life.
That’s where you’ll find two homes that have each offered a unique form of helping out their fellow citizens; one in the form of nourishment for the body, the other in the form of nourishment for the mind and soul.
In the back alley behind 423 Douglass sits a food shelf that was established some time ago by the property’s current resident, who wished to remain anonymous for this story. The shelf is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to anyone who may be in need of some basic food items – a loaf of bread, perhaps some soup, maybe a few cans of vegetables to help with that dish at home.
The idea is that if you find yourself in need of a few food items from the shelf, hopefully you’ll feel inclined to return in order to pay it forward and donate a few items for someone else who may need them.
It’s a self-serve shelf that’s about “neighbors helping neighbors”, according to the resident who started the initiative.
“I see so many towns so proud of having them because they help so many people!” they said. “Many local businesses help to keep it running, and the whole town has come together to help keep it stocked!”
A number of businesses in Outlook have lent a hand to the success of the food shelf, willing to donate items here and there to help make sure that as few people in the community go hungry and without food.
“The bakery is amazing with bread and soup!” the resident said. “AG Foods has donated lots of non-perishable items, the Esso donates them too, and then lots from the community – I just had a couple drop off ground beef. Everyone has pulled together because they hear how much it’s been helping people!”
If people end up taking a little more than others, that’s no big deal and the resident who started the shelf says there’s an inherent need for food and it’s a place where there is no judgment.
“I don’t care about that,” they said. “If people need it, then they need it. No judging here! There is a great need for it, I’m learning more and more of it daily.”
When we head north up the street, we arrive at 220 Douglass where we come across the ‘Little Free Library’, an initiative started up by resident Jennifer Davey and her husband Joel in January.
It’s exactly as it sounds – a free little library comprised of a two-door shelf in which books are taken, returned, and often donated by people of the community. You can take a book, share a book, or even write in a guestbook of sorts that’s provided on the shelf. All books are welcome for donation, with the only exception being explicit adult content.
Jennifer says that she and Joel had seen previous ‘little libraries’ in their travels and thought it would be a thoughtful idea to establish in Outlook.
“We’ve seen them in different neighbourhoods while traveling and a few of our friends have started their own in places including Toronto and Prince George,” said Jennifer. “Each one is unique as far as the contents and the structure itself. Our library in particular was built by two of my former students from Milden Colony. As new residents of Outlook, we thought it would be a great way to be part of the community.”
So far, the response to the town’s tiniest library has been encouraging, even in the winter weather, and people have been very giving when it comes to donating books for the cause.
“The response so far has been very positive, even during cold winter weather,” said Jennifer. “People have been very generous donating books but thus far, only a few books have been taken. The Little Free Library motto is “Take a Book - Share a Book”. We’re hoping people in Outlook as well as visitors continue to enjoy it!”
A food shelf and a small library established at two separate homes on one Outlook street – that very statement alone perhaps speaks volumes about the commitment towards a better quality of life for people in the community. In that regard, it certainly seems as if the more unique, out-of-the-box ideas come from people in small towns, where some of us are just trying to make each day a little bit better for those around us.
