London Drugs is offering to give small businesses a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company announced Tuesday that space will be set aside in select stores, and small businesses that have been forced to close will be able to sell their products on London Drugs shelves.
“This is a really hard time for many small businesses, and we are in a unique position where we can really help out,” said London Drugs President and COO Clint Mahlman. “As a 75-year-old Canadian owned and operated company we have always supported fellow Canadian businesses and now is the time more than ever, to come together.”
The retail giant also said its flyers will continue being published in more than 80 local newspapers across the province
“We know printed flyers are crucial for community newspapers especially during these challenging times,” a blog post from the company stated. “London Drugs knows that for many people in our smaller communities especially, these publications are an essential source for news and information and something residents look forward to.”
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Chatime donating bubble tea to doctors and nurses
Chatime Canada is showing support to health care workers by offering them a tasty drink (not to mention a needed pick-me-up) at hospitals across the Lower Mainland, including Surrey.
National Bubble Tea Day is April 30 and as part of the week-long celebration, Chatime Canada partnered with local hospital foundations to support nurses and doctors. Four Chatime locations will be donating more than 420 bubble teas, worth $2,500, from Wednesday (April 29 to Tuesday (May 5).
Surrey’s donations will be brought to Surrey Memorial Hospital Wednesday (April 29) at 4 p.m.
“We at Chatime have been inspired by the tremendous local support and outreach we are seeing,” said Jaivin Khatri, director of operations, British Columbia. “We sincerely hope that this can brighten the day of our frontline workers, and in turn inspire more businesses in our local community to also get involved.”
Chatime Surrey is located at 10255 King George Blvd.
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Chefs launch $1M relief fund for restaurant and hospitality workers
Surrey chef Vikram Vij is among the Canadian chefs who have announced the creation of the Canadian Hospitality Worker Relief Fund (CHWRF) to help restaurant and hospitality workers hit hard by the pandemic.
The fund, which will start accepting applications on May 6, will provide one-time $500 grants to restaurant and hospitality workers, including cooks, servers, dishwashers, bartenders and delivery people.
“$500 grants are a welcome support for hospitality workers,” said Vij, who co-owns Vij’s Restaurant, Rangoli Restaurant and My Shanti in South Surrey. “These additional funds will be an immense help for front-of-house and back-of-house staff, especially those who work in minimum-wage, entry-level positions like international and local students.”
The fund will be administered by the Design Exchange, a Canadian registered charity that also serves as an event venue in Toronto. CHWRF Founding Partners including Uber Eats, Garland and Welbilt Canada have pledged over $1 million to launch the fund.
For more information about the fund or how eligible workers can apply, visit dx.org/fund.
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