Easter dinner a 'message of hope' to Winnipeggers experiencing homelessness, food insecurity

The head of Winnipeg's Siloam Mission says the hundreds of hot turkey dinners distributed free of charge on Monday is a way to spread Easter's message of hope.

Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud, CEO of Siloam Mission, says the event involves two months of preparation and many volunteers.

"We are expecting to do at least 750 plates today, which means over 240 turkeys. It means several hundred pounds of potatoes," she told CBC.

"It's a really big team effort."

Blaikie Whitecloud says the message behind the Easter dinner is to show that people who are experiencing homelessness or food insecurity deserve to enjoy the holiday too.

"It's always important that people have that opportunity to eat well, but when it's a celebratory time for us, we want to make sure that they also have a time to celebrate."

She says the dinner serves many Indigenous people, who are overrepresented in Winnipeg's homeless population, and the organization is also seeing many newcomers request their services.

"There's a whole bunch of avenues into homelessness," she said. "So how do we build people up, and help them refresh and get back on track, and have that message of hope that Easter already is?"

'A sense of camaraderie'

Janice Brickey, one of the volunteers, says the hundreds of meals needed shows "there's something wrong with our system."

"All of us here are just trying in our little way to make a little bit of difference, and to share some joy with them and some friendliness and caring," she said.

Donations from a number of organizations and a hard-working kitchen crew help make the dinner possible, Brickey said.

"Whether you're chopping apples, or you're just doing your little bit, or you're helping to serve the meal, there's a sense of camaraderie in there that I'm sure flows out into the dining room."