Welland eatery owner Caitlin Nicholesen whips up cheesecakes to assist Community Support Services Niagara
Some people help vulnerable people in the community by volunteering for things like delivering meals or groceries to seniors living alone in their homes, or driving older people without their own vehicles to doctor appointments.
Caitlin Nicholesen’s expertise is mouth-watering sweets — cheesecakes, to be precise — so she figured she might as well put that talent in the kitchen to good use by helping others.
The owner of Mama Misfit’s Cheesecakery on West Main Street in Welland did just that on Giving Tuesday, whipping up signature cheesecakes with a chocolate-covered strawberry on top for $5, with all the proceeds going to Community Support Services of Niagara (CSSN).
Nicholesen, careful to ensure she was meeting the protocols designed to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 virus, brought a steady stream of her boxed cheesecakes outside the front door of her shop and handed them to waiting customers out on the sidewalk.
CSSN is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven agency helping seniors and adults with disabilities live independently in their homes as long as possible through a range of programs and services, from Meals on Wheels and home care for seniors to driving elderly people to doctor appointments and free, personalized home safety assessments.
Nicholesen was one of a half-dozen eateries in Welland to take part in the inaugural Taste of Welland fundraiser last October in which patrons went from one eatery to another, with all the money going to CSSN.
When CSSN community engagement co-ordinator Jonna Wolfenberg mentioned the idea of doing something special for Giving Tuesday, Nicholesen jumped at the chance.
“My Nanna used to volunteer with Meals and Wheels and I used to help her sometimes, so it’s something that’s close to my heart,” she said.
Nicholesen said CSSN’s mission helping vulnerable people is the kind of thing her nanna instilled in her, through volunteering at initiatives such as Out of the Cold.
“I love helping people,” she said. “I love giving back.” READ MORE
Story Courtesy of Welland Tribune
