A local organization is serving up hope in downtown Hamilton by giving away free meals in the city’s core.
An initiative that was supposed to last a few weeks during the beginning of the pandemic is still going strong, three and a half years later, and now employs over 100 volunteers.
Wendy Ha, an organizer with the Gore Park Outreach team, says the organization can serve up to a thousand meals a week. “Food insecurity is a big issue here.”
They gather in Gore Park every Saturday at 10 a.m. and start the day by handing out coffee and water.
Jeffrey Ng, another organizer with Gore Park Outreach says they serve more than just the unhoused.
“Eighty per cent of the people we serve fall under the category of seniors, people with disabillities, families with kids, new immigrants refugees,” he says, adding that there are also post-secondary students who also visit the group for free food, something he says is alarming.
All of the food that the Gore Park Outreach team serves is donated from local farms and grocery stores, but due to high demand, it often runs out of supplies before everyone can be served.
As such, it’s always looking for help. The organization facilitates most of its donations through Hamilton’s Port Nelson United Church. For more information, visit its website.