To think about 4 years ago Bizzzy Bea's started with just a simple one-night act of kindness to teach my kids to pay it forward. What I thought would be a simple good
deed was something I fell in love with and saw was needed in the city. Within just a few months Bizzzy Bea's had spread across social media, people started hearing the good that we were doing and volunteers had begun reaching out. My home had become a place where new friends would gather 3 times a week to create meals, package the goodies, and load the cars where we would drive around the city delivering to our most vulnerable community members.
After 10 months of my home being the hub, we decided to move the packaging and distributing services to a local hall. Cooking was still done in our homes however we would gather at our new Hive. Unfortunately, only 5 months in, we realized it was not a very safe place for us to be once it got dark. The stress of worrying about the volunteers leaving had finalized a decision that it was time to go.
January 2022, we found yet again a new place to call our Hive. Notre Dame was close to downtown, close to some tent cities and we had cameras to protect our crew. Fresh paint was applied, decorations to the board room were hung, and the energy was electric within the new space. With now over 40 volunteers, 4 nights of delivery, and non-profit status, we felt the growth of the organization blooming.
In May of 2022, the world came to a halt as we received a cease-to-operate email from public health. Although we were not selling our food, we learned it was illegal to prepare these meals for the homeless in an uncertified kitchen. Would this be the end of Bizzzy Bea's or were we strong enough as a team to continue on this mission? Within only 7 days, we had decided if we could find a kitchen we would continue this dream, had aired on MCTV across all of Northern Ontario, checked out an old unused industrial kitchen, had received a list of what it needed from public health to begin operation, and had received a donation that would save the organization and its dream. WE HAD DONE IT!!
Through many sleepless nights, sweat and tears, renovations galore, and a lot of love, in September 2022, we received our certified kitchen certificate. We were back open and ready to hit the streets. My grandmother always said "My little bug, whatever you put your mind to, you will accomplish" and she was right