Kitchener's Tiny Home Takeout has been open a year and the Offaks have been there since the start

Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of Tiny Home Takeout in downtown Kitchener, where volunteers serve meals to the community every Tuesday to Saturday, rain, shine and even on holidays.  

The motto is: grab a bite, give if you can. And Nada Offak and her daughters Andrea and Dani have been regular volunteers since day one.

"I'm probably there more than I'm signed up for," Offak told CBC K-W's The Morning Edition. "We look forward to the next time we go, it truly is our tiny little home away from home."

Offak said she signed up when she heard about the idea as a parishioner of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in downtown Kitchener; Tiny Home Takeout is set up on a corner of the church's parking lot. 

Offak said she thought it would be a great way to give back and get to know her community. She also thought it would be a good learning opportunity for her girls who were keen to learn new skills.

"I like working at home with my mom, but [it's] just basic stuff like peeling potatoes for mashed potatoes ... I'm helping cut vegetables for salads, but here, I was introduced to a new level of kitchen skills," said 11-year-old Andrea.

"I thought it was going to be fun because I like to cook, especially when it's helping people who need food," Dani, 9, added.

Working in the kitchen

Dani said she often helps measure the spices and prep the vegetables for pizzas and other meals, known as the "daily bite." She said there are lots of dishes that are used at the Tiny Home Takeout and she also helps organize and put them away.

Andrea said she likes making the pizza dough. It was one of the first skills she said she learned from Chef Amy, and there's a lot of pizza dough that has to be prepped.

"We make 300 to 350 dough balls a day for the evening shift," Andrea said.

Andrea said her favourite part about volunteering has been meeting new people and teaching new volunteers the basics during those first shifts.

"Even though I'm 11, it feels pretty cool being the teacher," said Andrea.

For Dani, it's been the kindness she's experienced from other volunteers, who she calls her "tiny home family." 

One of her favourite memories was when she was surprised with cupcakes and streamers on her birthday. It fell on a Saturday but Dani was determined not to miss her shift.

Providing food with dignity

Offak said Tiny Home Takeout's motto of "grab a bite, leave what you can" has bridged the gap between those who can and cannot afford a meal by serving people from "all walks of life."

She said it's also helped her, and other volunteers, get to know some of region's most vulnerable residents and their stories.

"We are providing this food with dignity and they are treated like they would at a restaurant because they get to choose what they want to eat," she said. 

Most of all, Offak said they've seen the difference the takeout has made in the people they serve.

"We also learn about how much of a smile we're putting on their faces by seeing the regulars and I know the kids have learned a lot of those values," she said.