THUNDER BAY — It's turning out to be a record-setting summer at the Dew Drop Inn.
Demand for food continues to increase, to the point that the Red River Road facility set an all-time high in July, with 7,119 meals being served. That's more than 1,300 meals greater than July of last year.
Officials say it's a reflection of "tough times" for some members of the community.
"It's just a sign of the times. A lot of people are struggling out there. A lot of people are on a fixed income. We're seeing a lot more seniors," said supervisor Michael Quibell.
He said the Dew Drop Inn is also serving more families than it used to.
With demand reaching the highest level in its 18 years of operation last month, the soup kitchen—situated on the property of St. Andrew's Roman Catholic church—has had to make some adjustments to improve efficiency.
Quibell said that so far this year it has served around 3,300 more meals than at the same point last year.
"We had to brainstorm because the lineup was getting bogged in certain areas. We rearranged the whole dining room. Basically, we wanted to be able to be able to get people in and fed as quickly as possible."
He said the changes have worked out well.
According to Quibell, the soup kitchen so far has managed to obtain enough food to handle the increased demand.
"Right now, we're OK. We do a lot of casseroles, a lot of chili, pasta dishes, stuff that's good for feeding the masses."
Quibell said the Dew Drop Inn continues to receive strong support from the community and from volunteer groups that organize food drives throughout the year.
It also receives donations through the Regional Food Distribution Association.
A hot lunch is served daily from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
