A West Nipissing couple – they live in Field – are giving back to the community one hot dog at a time. The two attend events from Sudbury to North Bay and will often fire up their barbeque to offer free meals to the homeless, hence their operation’s name – Free Hot Dogs for the Homeless.
Kid’s dogs, jumbo dogs, burgers and sausage are on the menu, and at their last cookout in Sudbury, they gave away hundreds of meals. “We wanted to start a hot dog cart, or a hot dog stand, that’s what we want to do,” explained Jules Watts, who operates Watts’ Wieners with her husband, Timothy. “But our main goal is to help the community.”
Watts’ Wieners is the couple’s business – they plan to buy that hot dog cart next month – and the two pop up at local farmer’s markets to sell their food. Expect them this August at the Sturgeon Falls Market.
However, on top of gaining ground for their new endeavour, the two are committed to helping those in need, especially the region’s homeless. They often break out the barbeque and start grilling up meals for the hungry.
See: West Nipissing homeless take to the woods this summer
Watts said she’s been trying to reach the organizers of No More Tears in West Nipissing to organize an event in or around Sturgeon Falls. More often than not, the couple pays out of pocket for the donated meals. For their last event in Sudbury, VitalHeal – an addictions and pain clinic – covered the cost of food for the event, as the barbeque was also for the clinic’s patrons.
At their next farmer’s market appearance, Watts mentioned they might put out a donation jar, so people can contribute to their good deeds.
Regardless, the good deeds will continue, and hot dogs will be handed out. Giving back is front and centre for the couple, as they know too well the hardships that arise from addiction and homelessness.
“My husband has had a substance abuse problem in the past,” Watts said, “and he’s been homeless before. That’s what touches us to want to be able to help people because he’s been in that situation.”
She mentioned a recent eviction from their home, as the landlord said he was going to move back in. That didn’t happen, the property was sold instead, and now the two have found a trailer in Field, a more affordable option, given the price of rents around town.
“It was just cheaper for us to buy a used trailer than it was for us to pay the first and last months rent.”
Watts shared the story because she feels its emblematic of those larger social issues that are creating homelessness. She mentioned the cost of rent and the price of food, specifically, and how it can be a thin line between having a house or calling a tent home.
“He lost his leg at work,” Watts said, speaking of her husband. “He was addicted to pain medication” that was prescribed, and eventually, he “was on methadone” to help him beat the addiction, and the VitaHeal clinic in Sudbury is where he received help, which is why the couple wanted to give back with the recent barbeque event.
Watts feels it’s important to remind people “how easy it is” to find oneself homeless. She again referenced her husband, who “had nothing, he was on the streets,” and now the two are managing to give back to those in need. “He had a tragic accident that led to the addiction,” she said, “he was thrust into this whole world.”
But now things are looking better, and the grill stands ready for the heat, because the free hot dogs for the homeless are not running out anytime soon.
“We feel we need to help people as much as possible,” Watts said.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
