WINNIPEG -- Some Southern Manitoba residents have been finding early holiday gifts outside their home in the form of a salty snack.
Over the last few days, La Cocina Foods, a family-run company in Ste. Anne, Man., has been giving free chips to homes in the Manitoba communities of Ste. Anne, Blumenort, and Steinbach.
“I opened the front door and hanging on the front door knob was a little plastic bag with two bags of La Cocina chips in it, along with a letter saying ‘Have a happy holiday. We’re going through all these trying times and everything, we wanted to make it a little better,’” said Chris Barnard, a recipient of the free chips.
“I thought, ‘Wow! Is that ever nice.”
Pat Warkentin, the owner of La Cocina, told CTV News Winnipeg, they began to give away the chips after the death of a family member three weeks ago.
He said they wanted to “focus on something else (other) than the sadness.”
“Our goal was to spread joy within our community, but it has actually given us a lot of joy.”
Warkentin noted the company’s employees, and even some of their family members, have been taking time to make extra products, put together the packages, and make deliveries.
Now, community members are taking to social media to thank La Cocina, which they say is always there to support the community.
“Everybody I’ve spoken to here in Ste. Anne have been very pleased and very appreciative of the generosity of this company,” Barnard said.
