Five hours a day, five days a week, Larry Wagner stands outside Loaves and Fishes in Sydney collecting donations and telling anyone who will listen about the good work the community kitchen does.
“We're here to serve the less fortunate, or anybody who's hungry and needs a meal,” says Wagner.
The retired fisherman stands outside the food bank collecting donations and spreading the word about the charitable work done at Loaves and Fishes.
“I feel better that I'm helping people out and I love helping people out.”
Since May, Larry has brought in more than $1,800 in donations.
Each donor gets a pin or a flag as a token of his appreciation.
Larry says he's just happy to spend his free time helping people in need.
“I've seen people coming in with their clothes practically falling off their bones, you know what I mean, and I realize, these people are less fortunate than I am. I've got food, I've got money,” says Larry.
Loaves and Fishes general manager Marco Amati says Larry's enthusiasm rubs off on everyone.
“We call him Mr. Dependable,” says Marco.
Marco says Larry's five years makes him one of the kitchen's longest-serving volunteers.
Larry used the shelter himself when he was younger and is happy to now be able to help provide the service to those who find themselves in a similar situation that he was once in.
“He was down and out and he had to come to this place and now he's doing great. He likes to give back to his community and he likes to help out the clients,” says Marco.
Larry offers more than just a helping hand, he also lends a sympathetic ear.
“If he sees somebody's down, he'll go over and see if there's a problem. Maybe he can talk to them, cheer them up a little bit. Give them some advice,” says food bank volunteer Marguerite MacDonald.
Larry says he expects nothing in return, aside from the satisfaction he feels knowing he has done a good deed.
“I don't expect any reward for it, except for God in heaven, he'll be the only one that will reward me,” says Larry.
Congratulations to Larry Wagner, our Maritimer of the Week!
If you know someone deserving of our Maritimer of the Week award, we want to hear about it.
It doesn’t matter how old they are, the nature of the good deed they’ve done, or what part of the region they live in — we want your ideas!
Please send your nomination to:
maritimer@ctv.ca
or
Maritimer of the Week
P.O. Box 1653
Halifax, N.S.
B3J 2Z4
