A local non-profit working to support women and children facing difficult life events was at the heart of Cilantro and Chive’s March Burger of the Month.
Tamara Noordhof, program director at The Broom Foundation served as guest chef, helping to create ‘Tamara’s Connections Burger’.
It included two Canadian smash patties, peppered bacon, Mozza cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, and fried pickles on a garlic pretzel bun, with garlic aioli.
Two dollars from every burger sold is going to her cause of choice — The Broom Tree Foundation’s Transitional Housing and Supportive Housing Project.
Under the supportive housing pilot project, they are operating two apartment units plus have close community relationships with the Lacombe Foundation, hotels, summer camps, and landlords in Central Alberta to help women who are experiencing or are on the verge of homelessness find temporary housing, as they face life challenges like the loss of a partner, a medical condition, job loss, mental health challenges, divorce, domestic or sexual abuse and more.
Plus, the foundation offers wrap-around support which all house guests are expected to participate in to facilitate growth and healing as they work towards independence and securing long-term housing.
Noordhof said those two suites and the housing pilot project which they launched last fall have already made an impact, “Which is no surprise to us, since October we have not had one night where it (a bedroom and two-bedroom suite) has not been filled, which of course is sad, but it proves the need which is what we knew all along.
“I would have to pull up the stats, but we’ve helped, including their children, about 11 individuals, and we’ve had to say no to close to 20 individuals who have been in need of that space but it wasn’t available.”
Funds from her burger will go to supporting the housing pilot, paying rent, furnishings, clothing, bedding, and whatever is needed to help keep those suites ready and available to women and children in need.
Thanks to the support of the Burger of the Month Program, Noordhof helped deliver $1,102 to The Broom Tree Foundation.
The Burger of the Month program month after month has had the opportunity to give back over $155,000 to local charities over the past 86 months.
Meanwhile, the April Burger of the Month is ‘Mike’s Mushroom Swiss Burger’ created in collaboration with Mike Rodwell.
Two dollars from every burger sold will be going to his cause of choice, The Lending Cupboard.