The owner of a local hotel and restaurant is giving back to Chatham-Kent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peter Tsirimbis, owner and operator of Retro Suites Hotel and the Chilled Cork restaurant, has pledged $10,000 to spread across several charities in Chatham-Kent.
Tsirimbis said it all started when he decided to check in with local charities to see how they were during with the current situation, knowing that needs may be higher right now as many people find themselves without work.
The situation also hit home for Tsirimbis, who knows first hand the impacts that COVID-19 has had on the community.
"At Retrosuites and Chilled Cork, we normally employ around 80 people. With this coronavirus, we had to lay off 65. So that kind of hit home with us," he explained.
Tsirimbis worked with the Chatham-Kent Women's Centre, the Chatham-Kent Salvation Army, the WISH Centre and Community Living Chatham-Kent to find out what items they were most in need of. He expects to deliver shipments of non-perishable goods sometime this week.
Besides the donations of food, Tsirimbis is also donating 10 per cent of every Chilled Cork gift card purchase to local charities. He said he was inspired by what other restaurants are doing across the globe.
"This isn't just my idea, I'm taking from a lot of great places in North America," he said. "Spend money with us now, buy a gift card to help us get through this and come share times with us in the future. I'm hoping it can stimulate a few sales and help us hire back people sooner than later."
As a self-described community advocate, Tsirimbis knew he had to help out during these uncertain and challenging times. Now, he's hoping his actions inspire others to do something similar.
"Even with this round of relief, [charities are] definitely going to need more," he said. "I definitely encourage everyone in town who can help to do so."