Ann Marie Harvey Serves Her Community With Love
Comic book heroes wear capes; real-life heroes, however, do their good deeds without drama or fanfare. Since March, Denham Town resident Ann Marie Harvey has been showing love to a group of her neighbours with special needs through the healing power of food.
The mother of four and grandmother of one started helping a dozen hearing-impaired people who frequented her home, offering them food from her pot because she understood how far an act of kindness could go to sustaining dignity.
“I am from a humble home, and I know how it is to go without the basics. Food is one of those basics and no matter how little you have if you can help someone, you should do it,” she says.
Empowered by her philosophy of compassion, Harvey reached out to The Best Dressed Chicken and soon launched a lunch kitchen programme for her neighbours. Harvey said she consistently received protein products from The Best Dressed which she shares with a growing cadre of beneficiaries.
Now employed as a legal secretary, Harvey had a small construction business which folded due to the downturn in the economy. Despite her own stumbles, Harvey’s determination to help the special-needs community that depends on her has never wavered. The motivation comes from a strong maternal instinct that inspires her work. “I grew up without a mother, and when I look in my community and see that people don’t have someone to relate to, I am motivated to help,” she says.
And since cooking for a crowd has kept her occupied, we wondered what her favourites are.
“Chicken of course: Fried, roast, brown stew, curry chicken foot; I love it all! Every day and twice on Sundays,” she says with a laugh.
Enjoy three of her favourites with these recipes.