C-Weed donates to Agape Table

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This article was published 13/04/2020 (2028 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Errol Ranville, singer-songwriter for the country/rock band C-Weed, was all set to play a charity show for Agape Table, an organization that provides emergency food services for residents who struggle to eat three square meals a day.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the show was cancelled, but Ranville still wanted to help. He collected donations for Agape Table (364 Furby St.) —  boxes of toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper and other necessities, and sent them to the organization.

Ranville said he really believes in what Agape Table is doing.

“Out of all the different (organizations) around town that are involved with poverty … (Agape Table) was the most accessible,” Ranville said. “They do such fantastic work. You didn’t have to fill out 100 forms to get help … It’s just so easy to deal with them.”

Originally, Ranville was set to play a charity show on March 28 at Seven Oaks Performing Arts Centre, titled Star Makers. The lineup included other acts, such as a film from emerging director Hanwakan Blaikie Whitecloud. According to Ranville, the show’s name refers to the staff working on the front lines of the pandemic, saying “They’re the real stars.”

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the show was cancelled, along with every other gig C-Weed had booked for the next few months. Ranville plans to organize the benefit show again, once the pandemic has subsided.

Dave Feniuk, Agape Table’s general manager, said he was amazed by their generosity.

“It’s amazing. Winnipeg is a large city with a small-city mentality, everyone looks after each other in their time of need,” Feniuk said. “With (the COVID-19 pandemic) … people’s hearts are going to the forefront when it comes to helping people in need.”

Feniuk said Agape Table is considered an essential service, with food insecurity becoming a growing problem in their area. It is still serving bag lunches from its door, offering soups, sandwiches and pastries. The organization is taking extra precautions during the pandemic, making sure everyone is sanitizing and social distancing.

As for C-Weed, Ranville said the band is switching over to virtual concerts.

“(The pandemic) completely closes us down, there are no gatherings of any kind. We’re sort of scrambling around to keep cash flow for the band,” Ranville said. “We’re looking into different plans, possibly doing a whole-scale concert online.”

Ranville has had a long career in music. He’s a multi-Juno nominated Indigenous music icon, with two Lifetime Achievement Awards and 20 albums. According to his bio, he has the “longest running/most successful music career of any Indigenous artist in Canadian history.”

Ranville’s life story can be heard in the documentary The Road to Here: The Errol Ranville Story on CBC.

For more information on Agape Table, visit agapetable.ca