“We are showing the love of Jesus by meeting our guests in their exact situation and meeting their physical needs.”

Janet Mabie
Special to Spur Ottawa

Early in the pandemic, the Ottawa Mission realized they could no longer serve clients the way they had previously. A serious concern among inner-city charities was the risk of the city’s most vulnerable going hungry. In the face of this challenge, the Mission found an innovative way to safely carry on their core purpose “to extend mercy, dignity, and compassion to all who enter our doors,” or in this case, those still outside their doors.

“Our community clients would sometimes come here three times a day, for three meals. That can’t happen anymore,” said Chef Ric Allen-Watson in a recent CTV interview. Allen-Watson is the Mission’s director of food services. Through his connections in the community, God provided a creative solution to this emerging issue.

“The very generous folks at the Pelican Seafood Market and Grill had a food truck which they donated to the Ottawa Mission for one year, shortly after COVID-19 was declared,” explains Aileen Leo, the Mission’s director of communications. “The food truck usually provides fare to office workers downtown, but with so many people working from home, this was no longer an option.”

The donation enabled the Ottawa Mission to provide healthy meals to people who cannot come to the shelter, whether it is because of disability, lack of funds or bus fare, or other factors. The Mission now provides warm, nutritious meals at five different locations throughout the week.

Chef Ric Allen-Watson stands in front of the Mission’s food truck. Photo courtesy of the Ottawa Mission.

On Mondays, the food truck serves meals to Centre 507 Community Food Bank, on Bank Street; on Tuesdays, Overbrook Ottawa East Seventh-day Adventist Church; on Wednesdays, Gloucester Emergency Food Cupboard; on Thursdays, Somerset West Community Health Centre; and on Fridays, it serves at Heron Road Emergency Food Centre.

“The response from community members has been overwhelmingly positive. People are very appreciative of the new service,” shares Leo. “Since the launch of the food truck, in early September, the number of meals has grown at each location to about 200, or an additional 1000 meals per week for the Ottawa Mission. This is a poignant illustration of the depth of need in our community—which has some of the highest rates of food bank usage in the province. It’s remarkable given that we served an astounding 520,373 meals last fiscal year.”

Word about the food truck has spread quickly throughout the community. Leo says the number of partners and locations may expand to meet the need.

“Anyone who comes to the food truck to request a meal is provided it,” Leo explains. “We don’t screen clients for our community meal program at the shelter and we want to ensure that the fare at the food truck is just as accessible and not stigmatizing for those who need it.”

“Since the launch of the food truck, the number of meals has grown at each location to about 200, or an additional 1000 meals per week.”

Food truck meals consist of beef, chicken, or vegetarian options, accompanied by vegetable side dishes, salads, and other items. Each meal is served hot in individual containers, sealed with a lid. To protect clients, the staff working in the truck all wear personal protective equipment.

With winter quickly approaching, the Mission hired additional staff to help with the food truck. The team is adamant that the cold weather not affect their ability to provide meals to those in need.

“Our food truck initiative is about meeting people where they are at, not making them come to us,” says Matt Triemstra, chairman of the Mission’s board. “I think we are showing the love of Jesus by meeting our guests in their exact situation and meeting their physical needs.”