Gathering Place Continuing Operations

The Gathering Place community kitchen continues to prepare meals for those in need five days a week.  

“We’re here for the long run,” says Peter Gregory, Board Chair. “We have determined that we want to keep our doors open.  We have a community out here that we need to support.” 

He says they knew in September they’d be rejected for funding after requesting $140,000 from the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board.  

The DNSSAB board formally rejected the request after an in-camera meeting this week, citing they did not receive agreed upon information.

“We have to accept it, we’re moving on,” Gregory says. “We’re doing new things that we haven’t done before to try and bring in funds. We’re reaching out to people who support us and asking them for their support.  We’re here to stay as far as we’re concerned.”  

He says they’re running the community kitchen like a business. 

“We’re making financial changes.  We’re making changes internally,” Gregory says. “We’re very open.  If somebody wants to come up with some ideas, call me. I’ll listen. I’m a very open-minded person.  Let’s keep the doors open because I believe the people that we’re supporting, need us.”  

He says they serve meals from their Cassells Street location between 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. 

“We are down to one meal per day and the reason for that is we had to cut our costs,” Gregory says. “That’s one of the major things we’ve done.  We’ve cut our costs.  Our labour costs are down below half of what they were before.  We’re really depending on volunteers and those volunteers are there to support us.  They’re coming out in droves.”  

He says clients are provided with a sit-down meal then some food to take with them too, like a sandwich, fruit or vegetables.   

One upcoming fundraising event is the annual Soups On, Nov. 8 at the Grande Event Centre.