The Meals to Motels program is marking its one year in operation having delivered almost 10,000 meals to residents in Owen Sound and Chatsworth.
According to the United Way of Bruce Grey, the program was put together in late April 2020 during the weekly Pandemic Emergency Housing and Homeless meeting, where concerns were raised with people being sheltered in motels facing challenges in getting meals while physically distancing during the lock down.
Executive Director of the United Way of Bruce Grey Francesca Dobbyn says the program is run through the support of OSHaRE, a registered charity organization that provides meals to those in need, and is in partnership with YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce housing services, the M’Wikwedong Indigenous Friendship Centre, and the Women’s Centre.
Dobbyn says, “it gives everybody a lunch and a dinner five days a week, and then a lunch and a dinner that’s cold on the weekend, so that they have two meals a day, seven days a week for anyone that is sheltering at a motel.”
The United Way notes, anyone staying at one of the participating partners or a motel in either Owen Sound and Chatsworth will be catered to, as the organizations and businesses are in communication with OSHaRE, informing them of how many people need food.
In January 2021, the United Way says it was their busiest month, delivering over 1,200 meals and the last week of February, they were able to deliver 370.
Dobbyn says for food safety reasons they are only able to deliver their meals to locations within a 30 minute time frame. “This limited the program to a limited number of motels, specifically Owen Sound and Chatsworth based motels.”
According to the United way, the travel costs are covered by Grey County, with Habitat for Humanity delivering from April to November, and the United Way from November to present. Staffing costs have also been covered by partner organizations.
With the program ongoing, Dobbyn says they are requesting packaged snacks to feed the children they are providing food to. To help, monetary donations can be made to OSHaRE and snacks can be given to the participating organizations.