Hawkesbury residents in need of food to eat have a warm place to go now each Sunday.
A local initiative to help the homeless and other people facing economic challenges in Hawkesbury is getting an indoor home of its own.
L’Acadien Préférer was started by Hawkesbury resident Rhéal Thibodeau in the Fall of 2024 when he began providing hot meals and other supplies outdoors in a downtown Hawkesbury parking lot. On Sunday, February 2, the service began helping people from its new home in the parish hall at Holy Trinity Anglican Church.
Thibodeau, who is originally from the Miramichi area in New Brunswick, has lived in Hawkesbury for 15 years and was inspired to begin helping homeless people on a visit to Nova Scotia. L’Acadien Préférer is the nickname he has been known by for many years. The service he is providing in the community has turned into a full-time job, but he is not collecting a salary for it. He just wants to help people.
“It’s not normal to see people in the street like that,” he said.
L’Acadien Préférer relies completely upon donations of food, clothing, and personal care items. It is not a registered charity. All items are collected and stored until needed for distribution. Local businesses, including the Vankleek Hill Foodland, Arks Harvest Hawkesbury, the Hawkesbury Branch of the Bank of Montréal, Salvatoré Pizza, and Hot Deals have made contributions. Many more donations and help comes from individual volunteers.
“People have to eat. That’s the goal,” said Shawna Vanbuskirk, Thibodeau’s partner.
Each Sunday, food, clothing, and personal care items are available for visitors to take, and a hot meal is served from the kitchen. No one is questioned about their needs and reason for being there.
“We don’t judge,” Vanbuskirk said.
Recently, the United Counties of Prescott and Russell Department of Social Services and Housing shared on social media that L’Acadien Préférer is available for residents in need of what it provides.
The agreement between L’Acadien Préférer and Holy Trinity Anglican Church resulted from discussions between Thibodeau and church members Carolyn Coffin-Caputo and Randal Storey. They were recently commissioned by the church to oversee outreach ministries in the community.
“We thought we needed to make this happen,” Storey said.
Most of the planning to bring L’Acadien Préférer to the church hall took place in January. Storey said the logistical issues were all resolved, and volunteers from both organizations assist with setup and cleanup.
L’Acadien Préférer is always welcoming donations and volunteers. For more information, contact Rhéal Thibodeau at 450-613-4946.
Individuals wanting to drop by for something to eat or obtain items are welcome from 12 pm to 3 pm each Sunday. The Holy Trinity Anglican Church Hall is located at 440 Stanley Street in Hawkesbury.
