Pay what you can: pitch in any amount for groceries, packaging and supplies
Choose to pick up your order or have it delivered via volunteer driver
** Kindness and consideration are required to participate **
There is a password to include in your first order, please read the FAQ up to there! The rest is optional extra info.
If you still have questions, I love questions! Check out the Connect page to get ahold of Ashlyn.
Overview of the Process
I schedule meals on this website according to what’s in season, what’s been requested, and what my whims dictate. You order using a form, chip in for groceries using credit card, PayPal, e-transfer, or coupon code and tell me whether you can pick it up or need it delivered to your door anywhere in Winnipeg.
Orders close 30 hours in advance, typically before noon on Sunday. I usually shop on Friday, so I really appreciate folks who get their orders in early. I prep and cook Sunday and/or Monday with my spouse and any volunteers, and our WFD driver delivers meals on Monday evenings. Join the discord to get reminders to order!
What’s For Dinner works because all donations go towards food, packaging, and website costs and my team and I donate our time, space, equipment, gas and vehicles. We do this because we love mutual aid and feeding people, not to turn a profit. It works because a few folks send me cash weekly or monthly to support the project, and a few more repeat clients who can afford to always choose to buy an extra meal or two for a community member.
Because of the way we operate, kindness, compassion and respect for our volunteers and their time are absolutely required to participate.
How much do I pay?
It’s up to you what you can afford to donate towards groceries each week. If you can’t afford to pitch in this week or any week I still want to feed you.
The website is set up to charge a flat fee of 10 dollars per “class” whether that booking is for one meal or six. You can use the provided buttons to add more to your bill to adjust your donation when paying online, or just send the appropriate amount via paypal or e-transfer.
What should you pay?
Here are some suggested guidelines:
If you can afford to eat out multiple times per month, consider paying $15/meal
If you can afford to get plenty of food you like at the grocery store, consider paying $10/meal
If you’re on a strict budget but want to help out by covering packaging costs, consider paying $5/meal
If $5/meal is a barrier to your participation, please pay nothing!
How to Pay:
EFT or Paypal: Click “Book Class” then send whatever amount you like to noblewhimsical@gmail.com E-transfer is best, because there are no fees!
Credit Card: Use the add on buttons at the top of the form to adjust the amount of your donation. Click “Continue to Payment” and enter your info.
Cash or Barter: Click “Book Class” and skip payment entirely, the system does not require payment to process an order. Your delivery driver can take cash and any agreed-upon donations.
Using code FREEMEAL will reduce your total to $0. This option is available to everyone, with unlimited uses, funded by people who click “buy a meal for someone else” or send recurring donations. We offer this with no questions asked and hope that people will use it in good faith.
Please note that if you use the add-ons to tip your driver etc, it will also zero out that amount.
What is the food like? What are the portion sizes?
I try and give a reasonable meal size portion of each dinner. Sometimes I misjudge and don’t make as much as I’d like. I typically package things in ~500ml containers for one portion. Often, portions are packaged together ex: 2 bowls of soup come per rectangular container. Here are some example meals that we’ve sent out
I make really good food, almost everything from breads and sauces to salad dressings and cheeses are made from scratch using recipes from world-class chefs, because I love making the best, most complicated version of a thing. This is food I’m making for me, my family, and my community and I don’t cut corners. Of course, sometimes things don’t scale well or we have a rough day in the kitchen - if you don’t love it, I want to know so we can do better!
On meal days (usually Mondays), there are two ways to get your food:
1) Pickup at my home on Overdale Monday between 4 and 10pm, or Tuesday 7am-10pm. We really appreciate a heads up that you’re on the way so we can grab the right bag and have it ready.
2) Delivery by my amazing volunteer driver. This is contingent on their availability but is typically between 5 and 9 pm. If possible, please meet your driver at the front doors of your building or leave instructions about where to drop the food. They are willing to bring food to the apartment doors of folks with mobility challenges, please note this in your delivery instructions.If you need to make alternate arrangements, we can often be flexible please reach out.
Should I return my containers?
I would super appreciate it if you would return any plastic container that will survive going through our dishwasher. It helps us save money and resources but it’s not required.
Please:
Clean them out and take off any labels or tape
Give them to your driver or leave them where your food is dropped off
Don’t return broken containers or lids, aluminum tins, or dip containers
The first time you order, please put the words MUTUAL AID somewhere in your form so I know you read this far :)
Can you accommodate [allergy]?
If you have a serious allergy, this probably is not the right service for you. I offer a vegan option every week and try to make gluten friendly options available, but my kitchen is omnivorous and full of dairy and often coated in a fine layer of wheat flour. I do my best to keep things sanitized and abide by the best practices I’ve learned in professional kitchens, but I can’t make any promises. Please tell me your allergies every time, I don’t wanna hurt you
Can you leave [thing] out of my meal?
I’m often willing to exclude or minimize certain ingredients, if you let me know your personal tastes. Please tell me every time, my brain cannot hold those details and I actively appreciate it, it does not annoy me for you to tell me what ingredients you hate. I don’t make any guarantees, but will try to let you know if I can’t accommodate your thing.
I’m new here, am I invited to participate?
Almost certainly! If you know about this page and I haven’t explicitly told you I do not want to feed you, you’re welcome to sign up. If you want to help out, there are opportunities below!We are a proudly Queer and Trans powered team. If you’re the kind of person who votes for Conservatives or thinks Trump has some good ideas, I invite you to self-select out of this community.I also reserve the ultimate right to cancel any order that I just don’t feel like fulfilling for whatever reason, and I will refund any money for outstanding orders if that should happen.
Did I send enough money?
If you sent any, thank you! I believe everyone deserves to eat good food made of delicious fresh ingredients. Whatever you can afford to send is much appreciated, and if you can’t afford to send anything you deserve good food too. I am very awkward and have a hard time responding to questions about money but I am so thankful for everyone who contributes.
Can I tell other people?
Sure, as long as they’re the kind of people you’re reasonably sure will participate in the spirit of mutual aid.
How can I help?
-Sign up to wash dishes or chop veggies
-Offer to help deliver a few meals
- Do you know someone with a commercial kitchen that I could borrow??
-Plant a row of veggies for WFD this year
-Tell me about really good food deals you see
-GIVE FEEDBACK, I equally crave compliments and criticism.
-Buy 500ml and 1L deli containers or the 850 ml white rectangular meal prep containers and leave them on my doorstep
-Set up a recurring e-transfer donation to help me feed people every week
-I have an evolving wishlist I’m willing to share with people interested in shopping or thrifting for physical items for WFD
Who are you?
I’m Ashlyn, she/they, been cooking for fun all my life and very occasionally for profit. My biggest cooking influences are my mom, Samin Nosrat, J Kenji Lopez-Alt, and Chrissy Teigen.I love feeding people, and I want to fill all your freezers with low effort food that tastes great and was made with love and really nice ingredients! I want to make your lives easier while you enrich mine by telling me things you enjoyed and how I can make it even better. Being a batch cooker for my community is where I feel that I belong.
PLEASE let me know if you have any particular complaints or suggestions. I will be proud of you for reaching out, I want you to love this food and for this project to be as beneficial to everyone involved as possible