The Ottawa Mission Sit-Down Meals Return

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted Ottawa Mission’s routine of supporting people. For more than 32 months, takeout meals had become the trend to control the spread of the virus.

But after careful discussions with Ottawa Public Health and Ottawa Inner City Health, the organization was now given the green light to accept community clients inside the shelter.

^{(Source: Photo taken from The Ottawa Mission’s official Facebook account)}

After almost 3 years, community clients like Alfred Grady, a homeless 60-year-old who has been a client of the social services organization since the 1990s, can once again enjoy a hot meal in the dining hall.

The reopening also entails servicing not only those who reside in the shelter but also those that live outside it.

On top of that, the usual two takeout meals per day when the pandemic began will now be switched back to three meals daily.

^{(Source: A photo of Peter Tilley at The Ottawa Mission’s dining hall from https://www.cbc.ca/)}

In an interview with The Ottawa Mission’s CEO, Peter Tilley, he said that what separates picking up a takeout meal from being at the dining room is the “spirit of sharing and giving.”

He further explains that eating a meal with others has a huge impact on people as this fosters human connections.

For many people like Grady, The Ottawa Mission, along with its friendly staff’s dedication, has become more like a family.