The Ottawa Mission is expecting to serve over 16,000 Thanksgiving meals to residents in need this year.
On Monday, the Mission will be capping off its annual Thanksgiving tradition with a meal for anyone who needs one from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Chef Ric Watson started serving Thanksgiving meals last week, with the shelter’s two food trucks going to 38 low-income areas across the city.
Watson anticipates about 2,500 people to come through the doors of the Mission on Monday.
“Anyone is welcome for a perfect turkey dinner,” Watson told CTV Morning Live on Friday.
The menu includes some Thanksgiving classics such as roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce.
Community members have been eager to help the Mission with monetary and food donations. Students from Elmwood School are among the many who donated turkeys and raised money for the Mission this week.
On Thursday, students dropped off more than 40 turkeys and raised $4,000.
For over a century, the Ottawa Mission has been providing an extended family for those without.
The Ottawa Mission is grappling with a record-breaking surge in homelessness and food insecurity. In its latest impact report, the shelter revealed the strain on its services, accommodating an influx of asylum seekers and a growing number of vulnerable individuals in the community.
The Ottawa Mission serves an average of 3,103 meals every day.
With files from CTV Morning Live