Above: 1,600 Thanksgiving meals are served to Toronto’s homeless and disadvantaged as part of the Ministry’s 50th anniversary. Mark McAllister reports.
TORONTO – The Good Shepherd ministry is serving Thanksgiving dinner and celebrating 50 years of helping the homeless.
The ministry on Queen Street East first opened in 1963, providing food, shelter and clothing for those in need.
Volunteer Faith Walker told Global News reporter Mark McAllister that the ministry brings out the best in people.
“You see grace in action, you see goodness,” Walker said. “At the end of it, you feel like you’ve been given just as much of a gift by the community.”
This Thanksgiving marks Walker’s fourth time volunteering at Good Shepherd.
She said she has also volunteered during Christmas and Easter.
The Ministry is expecting a large turnout for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner and have stocked their kitchens to try to make sure no one leaves hungry:
- 160 turkeys (7 to 9 kilograms each)
- 130 litres of gravy
- 40 kilograms of cranberry sauce
- 816 kilos of potatoes
- 240 kilos of mixed veggies
- 227 kilos of stuffing from scratch
- 275 apple pies
Thanksgiving meals are served differently, Good Shepherd says.
“Guests can actually sit down and we serve them versus it being cafeteria style,” said Adrienne Urquhart of Good Shepherd Ministries. “This gives them a nice, safe environment where they feel like there are with family.”
The Good Shepherd serves meals daily between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.
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