Ottawa Mission prepares to serve its largest Thanksgiving meal ever

The Ottawa Mission says it's dishing out a record-breaking number of meals at the shelterthis Thanksgiving, with rising food prices contributing to an all-time high demand for their services.

The Waller Street shelter is serving more than 12,000 dinners this year,roughly two thousand more than they handed out in 2021, said CEO Peter Tilley.

"Inflation is just driving people away from the grocery stores and to food cupboards, food banks, and to organizations like ours," Tilley said.

The cost of a classic turkey dinnerwith all the fixings now costs more than $200 for a family of four,a 12 per cent jump from last year, according to Statistics Canada.

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Tilley says the shelteris also feeling the impact of the rising cost of food themselves.

"Our cost this year is going to be close to over half a million more, just to continue with the programs to meet the demand," he said.

'Do you guys still need a turkey?'

The Ottawa Mission is on track to serve one million meals by the end of 2022, including food for itsresidents, takeout mealsand meals served as part ofoutreach programs.

Thankfully, the community steps up in times of need "every single time," Tilley said, either by donating or volunteering.

Many people were eager to donate turkeys this year, said Silvia Henriquez, the shelter's sous-chef.

"We get like between 20 to 50 calls a day saying, 'Do you guys still need a turkey? Do you guys still need donations?'" she said.

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Originally from El Salvador, Henriquez has worked at the shelter's kitchen for over a year now.

"When I came here, I see this [job] as like, wow, people do care. We do care for other people, you know?" she said. "And that makes me even more grateful."

While the job can be stressful, Henriquez saidshe's grateful to be able to make a difference even if it's by providing something as small as a meal.

"They tell you every day somebody appreciates what you're doing. That's my payoff right there. That's my Thanksgiving."

Monday's Thanksgiving meal for community membersstruggling to put food on their tables will be available at the Ottawa Mission'sgarage entrance beginning at 11a.m.