A special Thanksgiving meal for those in need in Windsor.
For the seventh time, local businessman Sam Sinjari has purchased everything needed to allow the Downtown Mission to provide a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
The mission at 875 Ouellette Ave. prepared around 300 plates of food for the Thursday afternoon community meal.
It included turkey, ham, potatoes, and vegetables, along with a dessert.
Staff at the Downtown Mission are preparing a special Thanksgiving meal today for those in need in #Windsor. ?@AM800CKLW? pic.twitter.com/2SeFJ1Txdd
— Rusty Thomson (@RustyThomson800) October 10, 2024
Executive director Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin says the Thanksgiving meal is a little something special for those who are not having a special day or special time in their life.
"This is a great opportunity for us to remind people that they are loved, they are not alone, and that everyone does deserve something special every so often," she says.
Ponniah-Goulin says they have been seeing upwards of 200 people per day for lunch after moving to one community meal per day and providing breakfast and dinner only to those who are experiencing homelessness.
"Everyone who may be coming before hand for breakfast or dinner, they're all coming for lunch," she says. "Yes, we've reduced our numbers for breakfast and dinner, but now all the individuals have come for the lunch meal, which makes that number jump a little higher."
For close to eight years, the mission had been providing three community meals per day, but as of July 1, the mission has only been providing one community meal at lunchtime due to increasing food costs and a reduction in donations to the mission.
Individuals who are sheltering at the mission through the Sanctuary Program or are without shelter continue to receive breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Those with housing but do not have a secure source of food are only able to access the community meal at lunchtime.
Ponniah-Goulin adds that in the summer months, the mission typically has 60 to 70 people in their shelter, but right now it's gone up to 80 to 90 plus.
