Thousands of food items donated to Chilliwack transition society via window cleaning project

A brand-new window cleaning company donated a trailer full of non-perishable food items to some of Chilliwack’s most vulnerable families on Thursday (June 24).

Chris Squires of The Wack Window Cleaning Company – which started up in January – was blown away with the amount of food items his customers donated as part of his #100HouseChallenge.

It was a way for him to make his new company “fun and positive” all while giving back to the community, he said.

The project started back in March and the deal was he’d clean the exterior windows of 100 homes in Chilliwack for free when folks donated a food item to Wilma’s Transition Society and when an interior window cleaning service was purchased.

READ MORE: Chilliwack window cleaner ready to donate to Wilma’s through #100housechallenge campaign

“Window cleaning is probably the most useless service you can ever get, so I’m trying to attach some purpose to it,” Squires said with a laugh. “We’re kind of taking the opportunity to brighten peoples’ lives in two different aspects.”

While most people donated about two grocery bags full of food, some “did full on Costco runs,” Squires said.

Ninety-nine homes and thousands of non-perishable food items later (plus cheques, cash, toiletries and a large stuffed dog) and Squires completed the #100HouseChallenge.

And what about the 100th home he cleaned?

It was none other than Wilma’s.

“I’m so beyond grateful to you guys,” said Tiffany Collins, support worker at Wilma’s.

The food will be given to the eight families currently living at Wilma’s and a lot of the snack food will be used for children in the society’s daycare programming.

“I am extremely full of gratitude to be able to do something like this for community,” Squires said. “I’ve always loved my job and the fact that I can help others with it is such a great honour for me.”

Collins pointed out that Squires also helped spread the word on social media about Wilma’s throughout his #100HouseChallenge.

“Unfortunately family violence, intimate partner violence, it’s something that’s not talked about enough,” Collins said.

It can happen to anyone, be it someone with a great upbringing who meets the wrong person, someone who has experienced it their entire life, or a 19-year-old whose parents are “not so great,” she added.

“It’s not just the places you assume violence happens (like downtown Chilliwack), it’s everywhere,” Collins said. “It’s not just our street entrenched, it’s also our doctors and our lawyers and our bankers and our McDonald’s employees. It’s anybody in town who can be affected.”

While Squires was out cleaning one customer’s windows, he witnessed firsthand the sincere appreciation people had for his #100HouseChallenge.

“I went to a customer’s house and when she handed over the bag of food, she said ‘This place needs to be there. I went to one of these places,’” Squires said through tears, as he recalled the conversation.

“There are options,” Collins said. “You don’t have to stay in an awful situation. We want to help you so badly.”

If you are experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence, or even if you simply need a person to talk to, call Wilma’s Transition Society at 604-858-0468.