Employees at a Red Deer restaurant are donating a portion of their final paycheques to charity.
The Granary Kitchen in the south end was preparing to close its dining room to over the weekend for four weeks, as mandated by the provincial government.
“There are no words to express how we feel about the staff we are forced to lay off this close to the Christmas season,” said restaurant co-owner Patrick Malkin.
“And yet, even in their time of hardship, they are donating a portion of their final paycheque to make sure their friends, neighbours and community are being taken care of.”
Granary Kitchen owners “are also matching the donations of 32 of our staff members for the COVID Community Response Fund at the Red Deer & District Community Foundation,” Malkin added.
The response fund supports charities working to help vulnerable sectors being affected amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
New measures introduced by the provincial government, starting Sunday, aim to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These restrictions include closing in-person dining at restaurants and bars, as well as closing lounges, casinos and bingo halls.
Indoor recreation facilities, fitness centres, pools, spas, gyms, studios and indoor rinks will be also be shut. Outdoor skating rinks and ski hills are allowed to stay open.
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