Guests of the Samaritan Centre and its partners, the Blue Door Soup Kitchen and Elgin Street Mission, have been given a new space to enjoy their takeaway meals amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thanks to a week of negotiations between the Samaritan Centre, City of Greater Sudbury, Public Health Sudbury and District, and the Sudbury Arena, downtown's community arena will now open twice a day for those looking to enjoy their meals in a warm, safe environment. All the while maintaining a social-distance from those around them.
The service will be offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with security, screening and cleaning personnel on-site provided by the City of Greater Sudbury.
"It was a lot of work but obviously worth all of it to be able to provide a space for our clients to eat," said Lisa Long, executive director of the Samaritan Centre. "Something needed to happen and it took a number of organizations to come together to make it happen."
Last week it was announced that the Samaritan Centre and its affiliates would be forced to temporarily suspend several services offered to those less fortunate, including the Elgin Street Mission's breakfast program. Since that time both the mission and the Blue Door Soup Kitchen have adopted a bagged-meal policy, leaving patrons to consume their meals elsewhere.
"We have always served our city's most vulnerable citizens, not just during this pandemic," said Lisa Long, Samaritan Centre executive director. Making it only natural for her to question how this population, in particular, would fare following these changes.
"Would you eat outside in this weather?"
Earlier in the month, Long attended the Community Spread - Response Planning Session hosted by Public Health Sudbury and District, where she said she noticed a gap for how "our marginalized, vulnerable population would be taken care of in all this."
Shortly after attending the meeting, Long began working with the City and PHSD to find an alternative. Being lucky enough to have a community arena located downtown and near the Samaritan Centre itself, she said the location was an easy pick.
The service was launched Friday, she said and is already being utilized by members of the community but not everyone.
Not all of the individuals who utilize the services offered by the Samaritan Centre are necessarily homeless, said Long, many of them have been taking the bagged meals back to their homes. This practice is encouraged wherever possible and will significantly reduce the number of patrons attending the arena during this time.
Staff from the Samaritan Centre and its partners, including Long, will be visiting the Sudbury Arena periodically to act as a familiar-face for patrons during this transitional period.
Until further notice, she said this, will be the new normal.
Find more information on the Samaritan Centre, Blue Door Soup Kitchen and the Elgin Street Mission and how you can show your support, by visiting their respective Facebook pages.
