Three times a week people line up outside the Reserve Mines Seniors and Pensioners Club where volunteers have been preparing hot meals for those in need.
“We’re very proud of what we’ve done here over the last three years since COVID started,” volunteer Mel Bryden said.
“It started out with a few hampers each year and it has seemed to grow more and more.”
To date, more than 100,000 meals have been handed out at the club. The program caters to seniors living with a disability, or who are on a low income, or who live alone, and supplies them with a hot homemade meal.
Demand has become so high there is now a waiting list, and it’s becoming harder for volunteers to feed everyone.
“The need is phenomenal. There are so many people that are in need, especially seniors right now with the cost of living, and they’re struggling,” said Bryden.
A combination of provincial funding and donations are helping to keep the program up and running.
“Roast beef dinner, stuffed chicken, meatloaf dinner, all nice hot meals,” said Bryden
Between 150 and 170 meals are picked up each week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Bryden said they could not do it without dedicated volunteers.
“We’ve donated back millions of dollars in time that none of us got paid for. But what it did for us is it made us feel very proud to know that we helped seniors in a time of need and we’re hoping to continue to do that,” he said.
