The Harris family knows what hard times feel like firsthand, and once they had an opportunity, they found a way to help other local people.
About a year ago when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, Ryan Harris who works in the oilfield, was laid off, which put the family through difficult times.
"We were going through really tough times," said Ryan's wife Stephanie Harris. "At that time Char Seeman and Jolie Bayda had reached out to us."
Seeman and Bayda with the Community Hamper Association were providing COVID relief hampers filled with groceries to struggling families. For the Harris family, with two little kids and expecting the third one at the time, that unforeseen and very needed help came as a blessing.
A few months later Ryan started working again but with fewer hours, so the times remained tough throughout the year. At the end of the trying 2020, the family received a Christmas hamper, which "really helped."
Fortunately, the new year brought good news. Ryan's work picked up, the situation improved and the family decided to return the favour.
"We wanted to return the kindness and find a family that could use it," Stephanie said. "I wanted to help somebody else because I know how much it helped us, and I know how hard it is to ask for help."
They bought some non-perishable groceries and Stephanie made a post on social media. It didn't attract much attention right away, but once she added some more items and reposted it on a different page, her messenger inbox was flooded. Now she had a new task – to choose the only recipient.
"Tonnes and tonnes of messages. I was having hard times going through them, but then I had a young mom message me, it just caught me, because she said, 'I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about my kids. I'm worried about where my kids' next meal is coming from,'" recalled Stephanie.
The decision was made instantly. She stopped by the store to get some milk, fruits and a few other things a mom with kids could use and delivered them to the family.
"I wanted to return the act of kindness," Stephanie said. "I have three kids, they are five and seven, and my daughter just turned six months old. Last year when I was pregnant with her, when all this stuff happened, I couldn't imagine not having the help that we got."
While trying to choose a single family to help, Stephanie realized how many people in Estevan are having tough times.
"Some of these people that have messaged me, they are having hard times, they have to pick between their bills and their groceries, and it shouldn't be that way," Stephanie said.
Food insecurity often comes with layers of stigma, fear and sometimes pride, which sometimes may prevent people from asking for help. Stephanie pointed out that for them it was Seeman and Bayda who offered them a helping hand just in time and helped them get where they are now.
While the Salvation Army is providing groceries to people in need on regular basis, and the Hamper Association also does food hampers on different occasions, all situations are different and that might not be enough. Stephanie pointed out that until they experienced difficulties she didn't know that there were organizations doing something, and if Seeman didn’t reach out to her, she wouldn't have known about the options.
"I'm forever grateful for that, for Char and Jolie," Stephanie said. "Because of them, I did what I did. They showed me that I can return the kindness and it comes with no strings attached. You can do something."
After realizing how many people in Estevan could have used some help these days, Stephanie updated her post, suggesting to people who can afford to buy some extra groceries, to consider offering those to others who might be struggling.
"I had a lot of people messaging me and I had people commenting on the post saying that they wanted to help. So lots of people that messaged me, I forwarded their names to other people that were offering help, and it actually resulted in four or five people getting help from other families that stepped up. It was like a chain reaction."
There is also a Facebook page called Pay It Forward Estevan, where private people can offer and receive help.
"I created this group and a helpful environment for families in need. Even the smallest amount of help and support is the best. This is for people to offer things to people in need. Not everyone is in the best place but we can help little steps at a time. It feels good, trust me," says the group description.
Stephanie added that she often buys extra groceries, especially when there are some deals and she often shared extras she had with people she knows. They also teach kids to share and often give them extra snacks to take to school and give to other kids who may need it. But the recent experience made Stephanie realize that it doesn't take much to help more people. And even if they don't personally know the receivers, that unforeseen help might be vital.
"I know in Estevan lots of people aren't working, but there are lots of people that do. To me, it's distinguishing between your needs and your wants. And, of course, it's nobody's job to take care of another family, but we are a community. Estevan used to take care of Estevan, and it should be that way. We are a small town and people need to be able to lean on each other."
