Grace Place adds 2 new days to its free meal program in Thunder Bay, Ont., due to demands
CBC
Melody Macsemchuk says volunteers at Grace Place in Thunder Bay, Ont., serve between 300 and 350 meals a day.
“That's not including our overnight meal — sometimes we'll serve 70 to 80 meals overnight,” she said.
Macsemchuk is Grace Place’s operations manager. The organization, situated on the city’s south side, provides free meals and drop-in services to some of the community’s most vulnerable.
While the meal program has historically operated Monday through Wednesday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., Grace Place is expanding its hours to also include Thursdays and Fridays starting this week.
“This is just something that we've always wanted to do and now we're doing it, so we're excited to do that,” Macsemchuk said.
About 22 per cent of households in the Thunder Bay district faced food insecurity between 2022 and 2024, according to the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
“It's not just one meal. They can eat as much as they want, so we're always happy to provide that service,” said Macsemchuk.
In addition to food, Grace Place offers a free clothing store, emergency hampers with essential supplies, and a hairdresser that comes in once a week.
Between Oct. 1 and April 30, its Out of the Cold program provides between 25 and 30 overnight emergency shelter beds to those in need.
“Our overnight program has been full basically almost every night,” Macsemchuk said.
The city’s latest point-in-time count, conducted in October, reported at least 652 people were experiencing homelessness in Thunder Bay — though advocates say the actual number could be much higher.
“It's a good thing that we work in conjunction with the other area shelters because we have had to refer people, once our shelter is full, to Urban Abbey and Shelter House,” said Macsemchuk.
Grace Place’s expanded hours are possible largely thanks to volunteers, Macsemchuk explained.
“That's what runs Grace Place. The volunteers that come, they bring their big hearts and they bring their hard-working hands,” she said.
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Melody Macsemchuk says volunteers at Grace Place in Thunder Bay, Ont., serve between 300 and 350 meals a day.
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