News & Media

Those without find 'family' on Thanksgiving
October 11, 2011

TORONTO - Daniel Rheault came to the Scott Mission because it’s the one place to go when he wants to feel at home during Thanksgiving.

The 51-year-old from Timmins is unemployed and on disability. He doesn’t have family and says the shelter is where he can meet new friends.

“I don’t have a wife and I don’t like cooking, so hot meals that are prepared here for Thanksgiving is something I really appreciate,” he said Monday. “I live in a really small room. Coming over here helps me get out of my situation and lets me enjoy my day.”

The Scott Mission served up 340 plates of turkey dinners Monday morning, keeping with its 70-year tradition of welcoming the public in for a Thanksgiving meal.

“Anyone who is hungry can just come in and eat,” Scott Mission CEO Peter Duraisami said.

“Thanksgiving is such a family event. There are many in this city who don’t have a family. We want to be their family today. Some of them have been coming here for years and we know them personally.”

Every element of the dinners — roasted turkey, gravy, tomato soup, chef salad, baby potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie — were donated to the shelter.

The dinner comes as the Daily Bread Food Bank continues to struggle to make its target for its annual fall drive, and it’s clear the need for food is growing, Duraisami said.

“We have an active list of 5,000 people coming in for groceries,” he said. “Just on Friday, we had 100 families come in. We haven’t seen that amount of increase in the last few years.”

About 20 volunteers, some coming in from Oshawa, cleaned and set the tables and doled out trays of food for the hungry stomachs.

“They thank us, they enjoy their food,” said Ali Teimouri, who has been working at these Thanksgiving dinner for 18 years. “They say this is one of the best downtown places they can go to because they get a hot meal. It’s like a restaurant and they can eat and go.

“I hear a lot of stories from them. They’re not only coming in here because of food or clothes, we treat them with respect.”

Wilfred Rodd, 64, said he’s grateful for places like this.

“When I had cataracts on my eyes, they gave me a place to stay,” Rodd said. “They gave me moral support. It gave me a chance to save my eyesight.”