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MONTREAL: At a Montreal bistro aptly named Robin des Bois, or Robin Hood, volunteers are drawing inspiration from their namesake and cooking up a storm to help those down-on-their luck by giving away the profits.
The restaurant is the brainchild of Judy Servay, a former advertising executive once known for throwing Christmas parties with a twist when clients and employees would gather to make meals for the homeless each holiday season.
These were a type of Christmas party in which “guests felt good the next day,” she quipped. This led to the realization that many people with busy lives were ready to get involved in humanitarian causes, as long as they didn't have to get too involved. After selling her video production business and a trip to Africa, Servay started the restaurant with the help of a sponsor who donated CAN$50,000 (US$49,000) and loaned her another CAN$50,000 for the non-profit venture.
The bistro opened its doors in 2006, and the concept appears to work brilliantly. Its strength is its flexibility: volunteers can work for one night or more, and no experience is needed.
“At the start, my mother washed dishes for a few weeks and then it took off,” says Servay. Volunteers come from all walks of life, including an emergency room doctor and the head of a billboard advertising company -- 4,500 people in all rotating through the restaurant each year. Some cook meals, others wait on tables. Profits go to six local charities, CAN$20,000 was donated in 2010.
The food is good and prices are reasonable, and the restaurant will sometimes bring in local performers to serenade patrons for free.
Twentysomethings Eric Lucas and Tahina Andriamananjato volunteer at Robin des Bois several times per week.
“My family immigrated from Madagascar to France. Having witnessed the caring hands that helped them settle there, I feel it's my turn now to help others,” Andriamananjato said.
“People have mistaken me for a pro,” delights Lucas.
Each night, eight volunteers work alongside eight staffers in the kitchen and the dining room because even though its clientele tends to support Servay's cause, the restaurant still aims to serve meals good enough to make foodies want to come back again, and again.
“We didn't want people to say, 'Great, I gave, I did my part, but the food was so-so,” Servay explains. “No. We actually have clientele that come back every week for the food.”
After arriving in Quebec a year ago, Andriamananjato has just now secured a job at a bank. Prospective employers tend to view volunteering on a par with professional experience.
“It looks good on a CV,” said Lucas. “Someone who volunteers, it's the same as if they were salaried workers.” And in keeping with their theme, the bistro uses organic produce which is sourced locally as much as possible.
The menu is devised by a trained chef and adapted to the seasons, and the restaurant provides aprons for the volunteers, but encourages them to wear their own comfortable clothes.
