Ottawa Mission's Thanksgiving Meal will be its biggest meal ever served
As Thanksgiving approaches, The Ottawa Mission is preparing the most meals it will ever serve.
It's a new reality as food prices soar and basic necessities stretch out of reach for many, leaving some who can no longer afford a turkey dinner.
For weeks, the kitchen at The Ottawa Mission operates all hours to be ready for a massive Thanksgiving crowd.
"We plan on serving about 12,000 meals in total," Executive Chef Ric Watson says. "We’re deboning, cooking and serving about 600 turkeys and right now we have about 500 done. We’re hoping to get another 100 donated. There will be about 2,000 pounds of mashed potatoes, 150 gallons of gravy. It’s just astronomical numbers; it’s our biggest meal we’ve ever had in the history of the Mission.”
Dinners will be delivered throughout the week until Sunday, serving 32 communities across the capital. On Monday, meals will be served to residents at The Ottawa Mission. COVID protocols are still in place, which means for others, food will be served to guests outdoors.
"The people that we’re getting these meals out to and that will come here on Monday to the Mission, they so appreciate it," Watson says. "And we’re talking elderly, we’re talking youth, we’re talking every walk of life people can’t afford to go to the grocery stores and buy a turkey.”
Demand for The Mission’s services is at a historic high. Last year, nearly one million people required a meal as the soaring cost of living stretched budgets and left some having to choose between a hot meal or a warm bed.
"We didn’t realize the incidents of hunger during the pandemic and now post-pandemic was so, so high," says CEO Peter Tilley. "And that’s a statement about what's happening in Ottawa, what’s happening across the country with this inflationary rates like never before. What we’re seeing now is a different face of hunger, a different face of poverty, a different face of people coming into the shelters."
Watson says the dedicated team is prepared to serve every person in the community who needs it.
"This is their Thanksgiving meal and we’re going to make it the best we can make it," he says. "The volunteers are the heartbeat of The Ottawa Mission and we can’t thank them enough,and our donors we can’t thank them enough."
Turkeys can be dropped off at the Ottawa Mission's garage located on Besserer Street, or cash donations can be made online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.