A little backstory....

I've known Desiree Viel, the owner of Winterport House of Pizza, since high school. We're not like BFF's or anything, but Desi has always been a great lady. We were in school band together, both in the percussion section. So you could say she has always marched to the beat of her own drum...pun fully intended.

If memory serves me correctly, her family had the business for several years, and she eventually took it over. Ever since, she's been cranking out good food for the surrounding area. It's always been a favorite with folks from Winterport, Frankfort, and Hampden.

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Of course, the pandemic hit.

Like most places, there was a small shutdown window when the pandemic first hit. But soon enough, WHOP re-opened for curbside service. By that point, people were tired of cooking and business was booming. As we all remember, many people were out of work, and some people probably weren't eating out as much.

So Desi started doing what she could.... offering free food to folks who need it. So on the last Friday of every month, she's been offering a free meal to families in need. But not some chintzy little stop-gap. We're talking a full meal. A 14" pizza, breadsticks, salad, and soda, according to WABI.

Giving back to the place you come from.

The best part about this, is the history WHOP has in the community. All these years in business, measured in decades at this point, have made them a staple. And instead of trying to make a cash grab out of the pandemic, they're giving back to the folks that not only support the place, but pretty much grew up in it. Just like Desi herself.

You expect this sort of thing from chain restaurants with deep pockets, but this is just a community member taking care of others in her very own community. If that isn't the perfect example of how it's done..... I don't know what is.

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