A local restaurant is doing what it can to help animals in need this holiday season.
For the third consecutive year, Leona Green of Greens and Beans Deli will be joining fellow New Westminster residents Angela Kerslake and Lorrie Williams for a Christmas vacation in Guatemala where they will be supporting animals at Animal Aware Guatemala’s shelter. Kerslake, a New Westminster-based lawyer, is a longtime supporter of the animal shelter.
Green, who owns Greens and Beans Deli with her son Matthew, is once again collecting donations to buy food for the dogs that call the shelter home.
“I have been collecting money for dog food. Last year I was hoping to get 100 bags and I ended up getting enough money for 177 bags,” she said. “It was amazing. I couldn’t believe it. People are just wonderful.”
Green is hoping to exceed last year’s total of 177 bags by the time she departs for Guatemala on Dec. 24.
“It’s a lofty goal. Last year I thought 100 was a lofty goal. To get 177 knocked my socks off,” she said. “For $28, it makes you feel good – that’s what it costs for a bag of dogfood in Guatemala.”
With the cash collected, Green will buy the dog food from a wholesaler in Guatemala.
“It lasted two months for 400 dogs,” she said of last year’s campaign. “They are trying to make it last. Guatemala is not like here. The people who live in Guatemala don’t have the money to help them.”
Green said there have been times when dogs at the shelter have had to eat cat food, which isn’t great for them, so she’s happy to be able to help. She’s looking forward to visiting with the dogs at the shelter during the upcoming visit.
“We buy big boxes of dog treats at the wholesaler. Whenever we go there, we try to give every dog a treat on each day that we are there. They line up and we give them their treat but they change places so you are not sure,” Green said. “It’s always hard to keep your pockets full. You are always running back to get more. I bought us all fanny packs so we can fill them up and get out there and feed them. It’s just bedlam when we do it too. All the dogs start barking. You’ve got 400 dogs barking, waiting for their treat.”
Greens and Beans raised about $800 for the animal shelter from a tip jar, with those funds going to things other than dog food. Along with 400 dogs, the shelter is home to about 80 cats.
Donations can be dropped off at the Greens and Beans at 143 East Columbia St.
