Turkey dinner with a side of compassion

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This article was published 10/10/2025 (281 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Abraham Simon says changes at Siloam Mission’s kitchen can be counted by the number of plates.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life in 2020, Simon — a volunteer at the non-profit shelter for 15 years — helped prepare about 300 meals a day. When the pandemic struck, and in the years since that time, demand soared.

Today, the kitchen serves roughly 1,500 meals in three sittings each day — a number that can reach 2,000 meals around holidays such as Thanksgiving.

On Friday, Siloam volunteers stepped up to the plate again to dish out a turkey dinner with a range of side dishes for the annual holiday meal. The event at the mission, at 303 Stanley St., is one of the busiest and most valued events of the year.

Generally, about one-third of those who come at mealtime have housing, and rely on the soup kitchen to stretch their budget and keep up with rent. The number of seniors seeking help has grown significantly, he said.

“People who work in the area just can’t make both ends meet,” Simon said on a busy Friday at the shelter, which was serving a Thanksgiving feast at lunchtime. “They come in here to grab a meal before they go to work. Some days, that’s the only meal they’re going to have. It’s really sad.”

Soaring food prices and a lack of affordable housing have pushed more people to Siloam’s doors. In turn, the shelter has felt the squeeze, as food costs rise and donors pull back to manage their own expenses.

“It’s changed the landscape,” said Julianne Aitken, interim CEO of the shelter.

Another shift has been the influx of people struggling with mental illness and addiction.

Aitken said when she started at the organization nine years ago, there was no need for wellness walks around the shelter’s Exchange District campus, nor for staff to carry naloxone kits in case they found someone suffering from an overdose.

“It’s been a steep incline,” Aitken said. “Thankfully, the staff have always been able to address it, so nobody has (died).”

Volunteer Thomas Rempel-Ong, who has put in more than 2,000 hours since 2019, said demand on the kitchen can be staggering.

“Thanksgiving Monday (will have) a lineup for breakfast, lunch and supper,” he said.

Simon, a retiree, knows the feeling. He has volunteered for 15 years. He worked in retail management, often in First Nations in northern Manitoba, for more than 30 years,

An immigrant from India, Simon has learned about colonialism, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and Truth and Reconciliation calls to action.

“We see the trauma here and the impact it has had on people,” he said. “It’s so hard to get out of it unless someone comes and walks with them, supports them. Not just throwing money out, but talking, genuinely helping people.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca