Over a thousand Christmas meals served to Victoria’s homeless and most vulnerable at Our Place

When it comes to Christmas dinner, Our Place needs a lot of prep time. That’s because its kitchen staff and volunteers expect to feed over 1,000 hungry people.

Local community leaders stepped in Tuesday to help Our Place Society and the countless volunteers, serve over 1,000 Christmas meals to Greater Victoria’s homeless and most vulnerable at Our Place’s annual holiday meal.

“The holidays are such an emotional time at Our Place as we celebrate hope, family and belonging with those who might otherwise go without. This Annual Christmas Feast served over 1,000 meals to Victoria’s most vulnerable citizens,” says Don Evans, executive director of Our Place.

“Christmas is all about family. And for those people living in poverty, we’re often the closest family they have. We want everyone to know they are loved and cared for.”

Brian Cox, the food services manager at Our Place,  is a pro at creating tasty meals for the masses on a limited budget. And thanks to the extra support of donors during the festive season, he was able to get his hands on 450 kg of turkey, 225 kg of potatoes, 110 kg of stuffing, 100 kg of vegetables, 115 litres of gravy, 25 kg of cranberry sauce, 125 pies and over 1,500 cups of coffee.

“I love it,” Cox says with a near ear-to-ear grin. “The Our Place family really appreciates that we deliver such a special feast for them at this important time of year.”

Our Place has seen a dramatic rise in meals served this winter with November hitting a new high of 63,000 meals, or approximately 2,100 meals per day.

Watch thank you video from the Our Place Family.