Retired Ottawa teacher uses her sewing machine to support food banks
When a Ottawa teacher retired, her love and care for students didn’t stop.
Concerned about kids going hungry, she took to her sewing machine and crafted a solution by raising money for various food banks.
Lin Dickson loves to sew, and has a passion for helping people and children.
"I taught at a number of different schools, some in very challenging economic areas. You see so many things, you see families doing absolutely their best to survive, and I see that more and more,” she tells CTV News Ottawa.
Dickson decided to combine the two, turning a hobby into a way to help those in need.
"Loving teaching as I did, I wanted my students to have all of the advantages and I still do - and food is a big one."
She creates aprons, tote bags, mitts from 'bits' of recycled and repurposed materials. Just prior to the pandemic, she began selling the items at craft markets and book clubs, donating the proceeds to various food banks in Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley,
"I taught children who were hungry, but I never taught them much because hungry kids - they can’t process what they’re hearing, they can’t absorb it, they can’t learn. And so, I decided that perhaps I could help the food banks, and put my hobby to good use," Dickson says.
When the pandemic started, Dickson, like many people, spent a lot of time indoors, and turned that free time into inventory, ready to sell and raise money.
Dickson says she’s raised approximately $10,000 so far, which, when combined with the buying power food banks have, ends up being far more.
"So, for every dollar that’s donated to the Ottawa Food Bank, though our partnerships and bulk buying power, we’re able to make that, able to turn that into about $5 worth of food to the community," says Tricia Johnson, Director of Development and Communications with the Ottawa Food Bank.
It’s also an inspiration to others.
"When people use their resources - whether it’s their time, their talent, their treasure, not just to give back community members in need, but to inspire others to join them in giving back, it really is very, very affecting," Johnson says.
Janet Secord helps Dickson find materials.
"It’s been a tonne of fun to work with Lin through all of this; but, it’s also been really moving to see the responses of people when they discover that the entire cost of their purchase is going to the food bank."
Dickson is selling her creations at various craft sales throughout Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley, and is planning to sell out of her home on Gilbert Avenue in Ottawa on Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
You can also contact Dickson at lindickson@rogers.com.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.