One of two Awesome Ottawa awards for August goes to Cathy Hamilton to support a grassroots food pantry.

“On Thursdays,” says Cathy, “I’m here by the food pantry and the tenants come down. But really, I’m here nearly every day because I get knocks on my door and phone calls.”

“During the pandemic,” she explains, “I saw that people were really hungry here, so I tried to figure out how I could help. They can’t make it to the food bank. So they rely on others in the building.”

Cathy has been running the food pantry at Ottawa Community Housing’s Clementine Towers for almost a year, sourcing food from her family, friends, and local farmers. The Awesome Ottawa award will help her buy a deep freezer, shelving, and tables. She is herself a tenant of the building.