OSHaRE serves about 11,000 meals in two months

In the past two months the Owen Sound Hunger and Relief Effort have served about half as many meals as they did in all of 2019.

In March and April, the first two months of COVID-19 measures, OSHaRE served about 11,000 meals, half of the just over 22,000 meals served in 2019, and May is on track to be at least as busy.

“Our increase is up about 300 per cent,” OSHaRE executive director Colleen Trask Seaman said Friday. “We don’t really have a day anymore where we don’t serve at least 300 meals a day.”

Before the pandemic hit, OSHaRE was serving about 100 meals a day, but Trask Seaman said they are now serving between 300 and 350 meals per day. And so far in May they are regularly closer to 350. She said she isn’t sure what it will mean for the rest of the month.

“Even last month we weren’t as high as we are right now,” Trask Seaman said. “I am not sure if we will see that number go higher than that 350 point, but only time will tell with that.”

Trask Seaman said they are seeing many new guests coming to OSHaRE in the last couple of months, which now serves meals from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday.

“We have seen an increase in the number of families with children needing to use the service,” Trask Seaman said. “It has definitely been a new experience for OSHaRE having this many people needing our services.”

Since the pandemic hit, OSHaRE has been preparing and handing out lunches-to-go for Safe n’ Sound’s The Space drop-in centre. They do that Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

OSHaRE is also working with Grey County housing to deliver meals to people in local emergency housing.

“That is something we have never done before,” Trask Seaman said. “Those are people who wouldn’t be able to make it here, typically.”

They are working with as few volunteers as possible to ensure safe distancing and Trask Seaman said they are very thankful for the new space with a commercial kitchen at 946 3^rd Ave. E. that they moved into last year. It has allowed them to physical distance and still do all the prep work that needs to be done.

Trask Seaman said the community has been very generous, with businesses stepping up to help, such as dropping off extra produce they haven’t used or donating items from their freezers they don’t expect to need.

She said there has also been an increase of donations from local farmers.

“Farmers are calling in and donating beef, and chicken and eggs,” she said. “It has been amazing.”

The organization has also received $50,000 from a relief fund the province set up to help society’s most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, including those who are homeless or at risk at becoming homeless.

On Thursday Grey County Director of Housing Anne Marie Shaw gave an update on the fund to Grey County council, where she said she expects OSHaRE will receive more funding.

Trask Seaman said the funding is helpful to offset their packaging costs, which has ballooned since they have moved to take-out only.

“It is something people are not donating so it is something we are having to purchase,” said Trask Seaman. “We are very thankful to the county for helping us with that.”

Trask Seaman said they are always in need of food and financial donations, which allows them to bulk buy goods at lower costs. Anyone interested in helping out can get information at the OSHaRE website at oshare.ca

Grey County has doled out or committed close to $1-million of the relief fund set up by the province.

So far the county has received just over $1.15 million of its more than $2.3 million from Ontario’s Social Services Relief Fund announced back in March. The county, through its Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative, has expensed more than $246,000 of the fund, and committed another $725,000 of the fund to various community agencies, leaving just under $185,000 remaining. The county is slated to receive just over $578,000 more in July, while the final instalment of $578,000 would come in September, if it is determined that the funding is required.

A number of organizations have already received assistance through the fund, including food banks, meal programs, shelters and other social service providers.

Along with OSHaRE, other agencies that have received funding include the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre ($22,000), 211 Community Connection ($10,000), Flesherton Food Bank ($18,000), South East Grey Community Services ($5,000), Markdale Food Program ($5,000), Safe n Sound Grey Bruce ($45,000) and St. Anglican Church in Town of the Blue Mountains for it’s food programs ($10,000).

Shaw said they are still receiving applications for funding and have reached out to other area agencies to see if funds are required.

Money from the fund will also go to a number of initiatives in the county designed to provide housing or ensure that people can stay in their homes. A total of $200,000 has been committed to Y Housing, while another $200,000 is going to Grey County and non-profit housing. $150,000 has been earmarked for a rent benefit program, while $50,000 has been committed to the reception centre in Owen Sound, which Grey County is a partner in with other community organizations.

Shaw said they are currently providing 23 people throughout the county with emergency housing, with capacity for up to 70.

The county has also committed $150,000 to the creation of an isolation centre at the Sydenham Campus.

Shaw said the centre is available in the case there is an outbreak of COVID-19 somewhere, such as in a congregate living situation, and people who need to isolate have nowhere else to go.

Shaw said the funds committed so far have really gone into dealing with the first few months of the outbreak and more will be needed.

“We don’t really have a good idea of what recovery is going to look like at this point, but we do know funds are going to be needed in order for us to move through the rest of the year,” said Shaw.

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