Ottawa Mission expecting a 200 per cent increase in demand for Christmas meals this year

With Christmas just around the corner, many agencies around the city are gearing up for an increase in demand.

The Ottawa Mission's executive director says the agency will be preparing 14,000 Christmas dinners this year, a more than 200 per cent increase from the approximately 4,000 meals served in 2018.

According to Peter Tilley, The Ottawa Mission is seeing a return of clients who made it out of the ranks of the homeless, now not able to afford rent and food.

"I’ve seen people coming back inside our doors we’ve long since moved on into housing. People have had jobs but they can’t afford to eat, so they are coming here for their daily meals," Tilley said. "When we are providing meals because people can’t afford to eat because they can’t afford to pay the rent and eat at the same time, it’s a challenging situation for all of us and it puts a huge drain on our resources."

On top of the increasing demand are increased costs. Those who donate are seeing their budgets impacted by mortgage and rent increases, the cost of food and pretty much everything else. The overall inflation rate in Canada is almost 7 per cent, a level not seen in decades.

"So far, we have not seen the hit; the public has responded every time we’ve put out a call to the public that we need their support," Tilley said. "But we are starting to hear more and more people are finding that challenging."

Solomon Friedman, a director of the Barristers for a Better Bytown, says the agencies they support through charitable giving are seeing new clients from all walks of life.

"Parts of the community we thought might have been immune to high food prices, to economic difficulties, are coming looking for assistance," Friedman said.  "At the same time donors are feeling the pinch."

Tilley is hopeful that when families and individuals look to trim their budgets this year, agencies like The Ottawa Mission and those that support the most vulnerable in our community are left off that list.