Siloam Mission helping to feed those in need with Thanksgiving meal

Siloam Mission helped to feed those in need with its annual Thanksgiving meal on Friday afternoon.

The meal included turkey, gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, stuffing, coleslaw and pie.

Marilou Castro, kitchen manager for Siloam Mission, said it took the organization two months to prepare for the Thanksgiving feast.

“We can’t cut all these turkeys in one day. We need all the help from our volunteers every week,” she said in an interview with CTV Morning Live on Friday.

Luke Thiessen, the communications manager at Siloam Mission, said Thanksgiving is a time for the organization to offer something a little more special than usual.

He said the holiday allows the organization to go above and beyond for its community members and make them feel like they’re taking part in a family dinner.

"[We] invite the community in, serve them at their seats, decorate, play some music and, of course, serve a really nice, traditional Thanksgiving feast,” he said.

Thanksgiving is usually Siloam Mission’s biggest meal of the year. Thiessen said it’s nice to give those experiencing homelessness something to celebrate.

“The donors come together, the volunteers come in and the atmosphere is just something that you couldn’t experience anywhere else,” he said.

Thiessen said the meal wouldn’t be possible without all of the volunteers and staff helping out.

“We couldn’t do it without them. Everyone is doing extra, pitching in to make this happen,” he said.

“As well as the donors who came through to provide all this food.”

Donors for the meal included Exceldor, which provided 144 turkeys, and Crystal Spring Colony, which provided baked goods, such as pies and dinner rolls.

Thiessen said Siloam Mission experienced pandemic and inflation-related issues this year, so they are appreciative of any financial, food, and clothing donations.

- With files from CTV’s Joseph Bernacki.