Ottawa volunteers deliver over 15,000 meals
Ottawa volunteers deliver over 15,000 meals to families living in temporary shelters (in under five weeks)
Ottawa, 4 May, 2020 — Cherished local restaurants, Coconut Lagoon and Thali, and community organization Food for Thought net-café, have joined forces to provide free hot meals to those in Ottawa most impacted by Covid-19.
Right now in Ottawa there are thousands of people living in temporary shelters in hotels and motels. These are mostly families with children who don’t have access to cooking facilities aside from a mini-fridge and a microwave. Social distancing and the closure of many affordable restaurants have resulted in widespread food anxiety.
Out of this need, under the leadership of Sylvain de Margerie (Food for Thought net-café) and Joe Thottungal (Coconut Lagoon), a group of A-list chefs, friends, and volunteers came together at Thali (Coconut Lagoon) restaurant to launch Food for Thought: COVID-19 Response
We are delighted to announce that only five weeks after serving our first meal we have served 15,620 meals! “Our meals are delicious, healthy, and made with dignity and care for our communities," said Sylvain de Margerie. "We are now delivering an average of 900 meals per day to the people in our community who need them most”
This entirely volunteer-run initiative could not exist without the tireless work of so many in the Ottawa community. Our volunteer drivers, food packers, chefs, donors, and distributors come from all industries: civil service, technology, food service, arts and culture. Together, they are helping make Ottawa a more equitable place. “Every day, our chefs create new meals. There’s logistics, packing, and distributing. At the end of the day, we produce lots of smiles,’' said Marie Wang, volunteering five days a week running the restaurant operations.
We are looking for donations, no matter how big or small, to help us keep this essential service going. With your financial support our volunteers are ready and able to meet the current demand of around 5000 meals per week, cooking and delivering healthy nutritious meals to Ottawa families who do not have access to cooking facilities of their own.
To donate, please go to foodforthought.cafe
Other ways you can help:
Volunteer: We continue to look for new chefs to donate their time and expertise to our team, as well as drivers, web and social media experts, and food packers.
Advocacy: Affordable housing in Ottawa is essential to getting families and individuals out of temporary hotel and motel shelters and into homes with cooking facilities. Go to housingemergencyottawa.ca to find out more.
Sponsorship provided by:
The Ottawa Community Foundation, Mazon Canada, Carlington Community Health Centre, Épices De Cru
To find out more about Food for Thought: COVID-19 Response:
Website: foodforthought.cafe
Twitter: @food4ottawa
For more information / Contact:
Sylvain de Margerie, Founder
Sylvain@foodforthought.cafe / 613-277-6630
