Ajay Chauhan is among many Yellowknifers who have stepped up to ensure families don’t feel alone – or hungry – during their self-isolation.
Students, staff and volunteers from N.J. Macpherson School went into mandatory 14-day self-isolation with their households on May 1 after a COVID-19 outbreak was declared at the school. The outbreak has since grown to include 34 people, with six probable cases and 1,000 identified contacts.
Seeing the outbreak unfold over the weekend, Chauhan wondered how he could help isolating families.
He remembered reading a story on Al Jazeera about a network of volunteer chefs in India that formed in April to cook meals for COVID-19 patients and their families self-isolating as that country struggles with an explosion of cases.
READ HERE: Indians step up to the plate to cook for COVID patients, families
“If they can do it, why not I?” asked Chauhan, who’s also a trained chef. “Right now I’m doing two part-time jobs so I have enough time.”
He reached out to people on May 3 through NJ MacPherson Isolation volunteers group, which organizes deliveries and donations for families in self-isolation.
Chauhan wanted to use his culinary skills to help the community, something he has done in the past for the True North Rotary Club and Yellowknife Seniors Society.
“I asked if anyone would want a home-cooked meal delivered to their house,” he said. “I asked if two families could respond because I wanted to see if anyone was interested. So I made enough for three families. By the evening I got another call from another woman who was alone with her baby.”
His menu includes malai paneer, an Indian cheese cooked with a thick cream sauce of spices, onion, garlic and ginger, with a side of turmeric rice.
He normally prepares his food with a fair amount of spice, but he adjusts his style to suit the tastes of the isolating families.
The response was very positive, Chauhan said.
“I think people were really happy that someone was doing it. The three families (said) they really enjoyed the meal. I was happy to feed families and kids,” he said.
Chauhan also received some donations from Big Guys Fries, who gave him basmati rice, tomatoes and a jug of garlic cloves that they bought from Northbest Foods.
“I work closely with Ajay regularly as we are both part of the True North Rotary Club here in town,” said Big Guys co-owner Avery Parle. “We wanted to help him by getting him what we could in bulk.”
People in the isolation volunteers group have offered Chauhan donations as well, enough that he’ll be able to cook for at least 10 families. The rotary club gave him some take-out boxes and bags for him to package the food in.
He plans to cook during the morning of May 8 and deliver them in the evening to peoples’ homes with some volunteers.
For now, Chauhan aims to keep cooking for the families for at least the 14-day isolation period. He’ll assess his plans later, depending on the response.
“(I’m glad) I can contribute something to the community. That’s my motive,” he said. “It gives me satisfaction. I’m in this profession, although we’re facing a hard time in the industry, at least we can contribute something that we’re skilled with.”