CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — When COVID-19 restrictions hit the Island in March, all the restaurants across the province had to close with little to no warning.
Yan Liu, who owns TBK Silver Streams Restaurant in Charlottetown found himself with food stored in his fridge and not enough takeout customers to eat it.
To keep the food from being wasted, Liu decided to prepare meals and deliver them to the Upper Room soup kitchen in Charlottetown to serve those in need.
This soon became a weekly occurence.
About
- Yan Liu, age 38.
- Moved to P.E.I. from Beijing, China two years ago. Opening a restaurant in Canada was his biggest dream as he worked as a banker in China for 16 years.
- Dani Thomas, employee, says: “I’m so proud of Liu. I’ve worked for many people before him, but he is the best. He always looks out for people who are in need, he helps whenever and wherever he can. He has a big heart and I really admire him.”
One of the chefs at the restaurant, Dani Thomas, volunteered to help Liu cook for the soup kitchen.
They prepared the meals on every Tuesday, then delivered the food to the soup kitchen on every Wednesday morning, Thomas said.
“I’m happy I’m around to help my boss and people who are in need,” he said.
The food ran out quickly after three weeks. But Liu decided to keep doing the work and bought all his ingredients from P.E.I. local sources.
“I think it is a good thing that I’m cooking for local people with local ingredients,” Liu said. “Living on the Island, people always call for supporting local. I’m happy I could help.”
By September, the weekly commitment was becoming too much for Liu and his business. Still, he didn't want to stop and has managed to provide meals twice a month.
“It hurts me seeing people being vulnerable because I don’t have enough food, so I think the soup kitchen needs me,” he said. “I got lots of stress sometimes, but as a resident, I need to keep doing what I am doing.”
The regular food donations during the COVID-19 pandemic is not the only way Liu has given back to his Island neighbours.
In July 2019, Liu donated meal cards to residents of a nearby apartment building that had been destroyed by fire. The cards gave the displaced residents a free meal once a month at TBK Silver Streams.
“It was horrible to see the whole building being torn down,” Liu said. “As a neighbour, I wanted to do something.”
To say thank you, some of those residents held events and dinners at his restaurant in early 2020, before lockdown restrictions were put into place.
“Islanders warm my heart,” Liu says, smiling at the memory.
Liu says he has received a lot of support the community. In April, Liu received an anonymous letter that included a $1,000 cheque. He burst into tears and called his wife.
“I called my wife and told her there was someone who sent us a cheque. In the letter, he said he wanted to support me and my restaurant because he knew I was in a tough situation, too,” Liu said.
“It touched my heart.”
Since then, Liu has continued to receive many greeting cards from P.E.I. residents. One of those was a happy birthday card sent to him on his birthday in May, he said.
“I can’t even put the words together. They thank me for my food. They don’t know they are my batteries.”
Liu has a three-year-old son. He said whenever he asked his son to go do his homework or to clean up his toys, his son would say, “Daddy, please go back to work, go do your food bank.”
Although his son might not understand what he is doing now, Liu believes one day the youngster will know and will continue to give back to the community he lives in.
“I want my son to keep doing what I’m doing when he’s grown up, because I believe it’s a circle,” Liu said. “... One day, he will say he wants to be a man like his father.”