THUNDER BAY – In a world turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, patrons at the Dew Drop Inn got to enjoy a familiar taste of Easter tradition over the weekend.
The local soup kitchen had to forgo its usual sit-down Easter dinner, with its dining room closed to the public. But staff and volunteers worked to surprise patrons with 500 hot turkey meals to go, along with a similar number of goodie bags containing chocolates and other seasonal treats.
Volunteer management was made easier Sunday, as a family of five who have been self-isolating together did the bulk of the work behind the scenes in the kitchen. Outside, kitchen manager Julio Chiodo ensured patrons maintained physical distance in line, as a volunteer handed out packages of food and goodie bags from behind a table.
A school group had prepared nearly 400 paper goodie bags with messages wishing patrons a happy Easter – an activity that had luckily been planned before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools in March.
Executive director Michael Quibell said while public health precautions have made the organization’s work a bit more difficult, they’ve had no problems continuing to operate through the pandemic so far.
“We’ve been really lucky, we’ve had no problem filling our [volunteer] rosters every day,” he said.
The soup kitchen continues to serve between 300 and 350 take-home meals per day, thanks to the labour of about eight volunteers who arrive to help each morning.
“We want to make them really healthy, because for a lot of our patrons it’s their only food source,” Quibell said.
The work feels more important than ever at a time when much of the city is closed down, he added.
“The big thing we’re hearing from our patrons is they’re really happy we’re still here,” he said. “You can’t take anything for granted anymore.”
