Tell Us Your Story. What motivated you to start your business? Why are you passionate about what you do?

I am a stay at home mother of four children. I manage our busy lives here in Delta. I started sewing felt food about 16 years ago with my first baby. I didn't want my children to have plastic toys and in my search for better toys learned about felt food. I was already an avid crafter and so sewing felt food was natural to me and I sewed many items for my daughter. I soon realized that I loved the challenge of creating my own patterns and making many different items. Because I "needed" to sew more felt food, I started sewing them for my relatives and friends. It wasn't until about 7 years ago when I took this hobby to the next level and started Wool Food and sold my creations at craft markets. Over the years, I focused on using 100% wool felt because of its high quality properties that make it the best material for play time. Eventually, I sold my felt food at a local farm and then online and now in a local independent book store. I am passionate about my business because I focus on quality and the personal touch on each item that I sew. Every fruit, berry, vegetable, and cupcake is hand cut and hand stitched by me. Each one has to be perfectly made. I love the entire process of sewing these fun play food and I love seeing customer's reactions to my market table or hearing about how their children play with my creations all the time.

Describe and demonstrate, including metrics, your community support. How do you support and uplift your community, and how do they show that support in return? Minimum 25 words, maximum 2500 characters.

I support my local community by supporting and collaborating other local businesses. I collaborate with Emma Lea Farms (Delta) by including my felt food in their yearly fall market. I also work with Kinder Books (New Westminster) by selling my items in their book store. I heavily promote both of these small businesses in my social media and they likewise support Wool Food.

Why do you deserve to win the Business Impact award?

I think that I deserve the Business Impact award because I'd like to think that my creations encourage my customers to think about buying quality products for their children. To know that a toy was truly hand made (in every sense of the word!) and made locally is a more meaningful and personal product than mass produced items in a far away country. I think that my collaboration with two local businesses who admire and support other local small businesses has further emphasized the idea of shopping and supporting local.

Tell Us About Your Culture. How are you creating a sustainable and healthy workplace where everyone feels welcome? Provide examples of leadership you show in interactions with clients, vendors, contractors, staff and others.

I focus on using only 100% wool felt which is a naturally sustainable material. Its natural properties make it the highest quality material that can be used for play time for many years to come. I also practice zero waste management. All felt and thread scraps are incorporated into the stuffing of each felt food. I also reuse paper packaging for mailing out orders in order to generate less waste. As for my workplace, its a healthy one because I sew in my home, in the backyard, in parks, at the beach, at the rec center, at music lessons and on vacation!