Archive

Deja Vu Diner offers free baby food for those in need

October 20, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

With inflation hitting just about everyone in the pocketbook, and rising food prices becoming a concern, many people are struggling to pay the bills and feed their families.

Jennifer Betz, owner of the Deja Vu Diner in Orangeville, was inspired to help those who are struggling by creating a free baby food program at her Broadway diner.

“It was my day off and I was watching Tik-Tok, and people were on there talking about how bad it is out there trying to afford everything,” Jennifer explained. “I’ve been affected by it too. I thought, what about people who can’t afford baby food? What are they supposed to do? I thought I can make baby food.”

Jennifer said that at one time she was a single mother with two children, and can understand the struggle of some people to cope with rising prices.

“I was a single mom with two babies, and I thought, how would I have survived if the cost of everything was as high as it is now?” Jennifer said. “If you’ve got only so much money in your pocket, and you have so many obligations, if we take a little bit of the pressure off of one of them, that could be really important – that’s what our goal is.”

Jennifer makes the baby food in her professional, inspected kitchen.

The diner has a store with a frozen meat section. The baby food is kept there and is available to anyone who needs it.

“There’s a section in a freezer, and you just come in and get what you need,” Jennifer explained. “You don’t even have to speak to anyone if you want to be private. You just come into the store and help yourself. We don’t have any criteria or anything like that, it’s for anyone who needs it.”

Jennifer is making a variety of different pureed foods suitable for babies.

“We have strawberries and blueberries, and in the store we have peas and corn, and we have potatoes and carrots,” Jennifer said. “We puree it all. Today we’re doing ground beef and barley.”

For someone with young children who is struggling to keep up with current food prices, the initiative provides a little help when it comes to keeping a baby fed and healthy.

There is no sign-up or requirements to take advantage of this opportunity.

Jennifer said she only wants to help those who are struggling during difficult times.

Readers Comments (0)