TORONTO

Mashud Siddique’s seven-year-old daughter, Ameena, convinced him in 1998 to open his restaurant to the needy on Christmas Day.

Since then, Vena’s Restaurant, a roti diner at Bloor St. W. and Lansdowne Ave., has been serving thousands of holiday meals to the community.

Ameena noticed a lot of hungry people in the neighbourhood and at nearby shelters and came up with the idea to help.

“My daughter is in law school in the U.K. now, but I’m so happy she got me to do this,” Siddique said Thursday. “There are a lot of people in shelters and it makes the people in the community happy, so I enjoy doing it.”

The restaurant, which advertises the Christmas event through flyers in the neighbourhood, started by giving out 100 meals but now dishes up 10 times the amount of free Christmas dinners.

“We have a good reaction from the community,” Siddique said. “People are very thankful and happy. It is just something I’m glad I can do.”

Rasheed Mohammed stopped into Vena’s for a free Christmas meal.

“It is a nice treat and the food is good,” said Mohammed. “I think it is good because there are a lot of people around here who can’t afford it.”

kevin.connor@sunmedia.ca