As Royal City Mission is scheduled to see service cuts starting April 28, local organizations are coming up to help fill the gaps.
The downtown charity previously offered meals and drop-in services Monday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.; starting Sunday, those hours will be reduced to Wednesday through Sunday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Meals will only be served once a day instead of twice.
In response, Your Downtown Guelph Friends, alongside Royal City Mission, the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition and the Salvation Army will serve food on Mondays and Tuesdays in St. George’s Square from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. starting April 29.
Your Downtown Guelph Friends currently offers free meal services on Fridays and Sundays outside of the Guelph Theatre from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
YDGF organizer Kate Nixon said they chose St. George’s Square for Mondays and Tuesdays to be close to Royal City Mission, where the meals would have otherwise been served.
It’s also near the library and the health centre, making it a central location, she said.
“The Mission has been doing tremendous work for a long time,” she said. “We recognize how critical it is that there are opportunities in the community for people to access a meal and a supportive space. Because of the funding cuts, we know that will be a huge gap in our community.”
She said they have an amazing team of volunteers and supporters working really hard to make this happen,” but that they have no budget or funding to work with.
“It’s ultimately just people coming together out of concern for the well-being of our community. It’s a work in progress, and we’ll be looking to gain support from the community throughout this journey,” she said.
“There won’t be a drop-in program in Guelph at all on those days, and there won’t be a meal program on those days. It will be a very desolate time for people, and it’s really critical that we rally together as a community to do the best we can,” she said.
Those interested in donating can contact Your Downtown Guelph Friends on social media.
