When longtime Lake Country singer-songwriter Steve Stairs met Phyllis MacPherson at one of the area’s Canada Day celebrations quite a few years ago, he was struck by her smile.
Knowing her efforts to keep the Lake Country Food Bank rolling along, Stairs told MacPherson he would write a song for her.
And so he did, penning The Lady At the Food Bank, a song about Phyllis that he regularly sang for her before her passing and that he sang at the celebration of her life, held July 9.
“I was honoured for the family to ask me and I couldn’t say yes fast enough,” said Stairs. “The song is just about how she treated everybody with such great care. She had a big heart and just looked after people when they came in. I went there one day and watched her and it was pretty special. She did a lot of things that made people feel good.”
Over the years Stairs played the song several times for Phyllis. If he was playing at a Lake Country event and she came by, he would sing it for her.
“She would come and watch and I would play it for her,” said Stairs, who said the song would always bring a big smile to her face and now if he plays it, he thinks of Phyllis. “I think of her face and her smile. It’s a good memory. She was a pretty special lady.”
Stairs now says he likely won’t be playing the song very much as it was written for Phyllis, although he may strum it around a campfire for friends and would play it if asked. He doesn’t play it at any regular gigs that he gets, but it was included on his 2013 CD called Dance With Me and can also be heard by clicking this link on www.reverbnation, a streaming audio service.
The Lady At The Food Bank
She sees the look on all their faces
As they walk in through the door
They don’t want to be here
She knows that for sure
But with a growl in their belly and old shoes on their feet
Their wives and their children don’t deserve not to eat
The lady at the food bank is an angel I know
When the roll’s called up yonder, she’ll be the first one to go
With a smile on her face and her heart on her sleeve
She makes folks feel special
By the time they leave
(Chorus)
Lord how did I get here I heard one man say
If it weren’t for the food bank, I’d be hungry all day
I’ll work my way back to where I need to be
But til then it’s the food bank for my family and me
The lady at the food bank, likes to help those in need
She’ll stretch every dollar
Cause there’s so many to feed
She don’t do this for fortune, she don’t do this for fame
She does it for love and Phyllis is her name
If you feel blessed and happy, and your belly is full
You want to give something back, here’s what you can do
Just open up your heart and donate to our fund
And there’ll be one less hungry family
When the day’s work is done
Lord how did I get here I heard one man say
If it weren’t for the food bank, I’d be hungry all day
I’ll work my way back to where I need to be
But til then it’s the food bank for my family and me
