A Windsor student-led group is preparing to serve hundreds of meals to people experiencing food insecurity this weekend.
Streetside Suppers will distribute about 350 hot meals, along with canned goods and other non-perishable items, on Saturday.
The effort will begin at the Downtown Mission before volunteers make their way through downtown Windsor.
Founder Ali Hage Hassan says the initiative is focused on strengthening connections among residents.
“Community isn’t just about living in the same city, it’s something you practice on a daily basis. It’s built by consistently showing up for others around you, whether that’s through volunteering or mutual aid, or simply reaching out to others around you, whether it be a neighbor, co-worker, or family and friends,” Hage Hassan said.
“The meals we organize, they’re incredibly important, but they’re also a way of bringing people together around a common purpose.”
He says Streetside Suppers has steadily expanded its reach since launching.
“We’ve had about four events up to date. After this event, we will have reached about more than a thousand meals served to people experiencing food insecurity in Windsor and feeding local people,” he said.
Hage Hassan says community partners are helping provide the menu for the day.
“We reached out to local businesses because we believe they shared a commitment to the community and they were incredibly grateful,” he said.
“These restaurants were Eddy’s, Alo Oven, and Al-Sabeel, and they are the ones primarily part of the effort. The the meals that we’re serving are rice and chili.”
Volunteers will also distribute water, snacks and other food items.
Organizers say the group currently has enough volunteers for the event, but continues to recruit support through its website and social media channels for future community initiatives.