City Helping to Provide Dining Space and Meals for Community's Vulnerable

The City of Greater Sudbury continues to work with community partners to address the needs of the community’s vulnerable population.

The Parkside Centre, located in the YMCA building in downtown Sudbury is opening its doors and providing dining space where people can eat takeout meals they pick up from the Elgin Street Mission and Blue Door Soup Kitchen.

The Parkside Centre will open Monday, December 7, 2020 and will operate seven days a week, in alignment with meal service at the Elgin Street Mission and Blue Door Soup Kitchen: 
Monday to Friday for dinner, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. 
Monday to Friday for lunch, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
Saturday and Sunday for brunch, 10 to 11:30 a.m. 

“Homelessness initiatives continue to be a top priority for City Council,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. “We understand that providing dining space for our vulnerable population addresses a growing need. We are proud of our community partners, the Parkside Centre, for stepping up to offer dining space, and the YMCA for assisting in facilitating as well as providing the warming centre and providing support throughout the summer. People are familiar with this location and the people who work there, and this is a comfortable place where they can come in from the cold and eat their meals.” 

The City of Greater Sudbury is providing approximately $250,000 in funding to operate the dining space at Parkside Centre until the end of April. The centre has capacity for 50 people. To help keep everyone safe and reduce the potential spread of COVID-19, tables and chairs will be sanitized after each use, and there will be daily screening. For more information on the dining space, call the YMCA at 705-673-6227.

“We are very happy to extend our support to people experiencing homelessness, especially during these uncertain times,” said The Parkside Centre Board of Directors Chair Jim Spencer. “Our Board is ready to welcome visitors on Monday, and every day at mealtime, throughout the winter season.” 

This latest service complements programs already underway at the YMCA. The City is funding an overnight warming centre at the Y, which opened November 16 and offers a safe, comfortable, warm place for people to visit, with access to washrooms and light refreshments. It’s open seven days a week, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. For more information on the overnight warming centre, call the YMCA at 705-674-8315.

In addition, the City and the Elgin Street Mission are working together to deliver take-out meals to the Homelessness Network Daytime Drop-In Centre at 19 Frood Rd. Between December 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, up to 32 meals will be delivered daily from the Blue Door Soup Kitchen and Elgin Street Mission to the Centre. The City is providing more than $7,000 in funding.

About Other City Homelessness Initiatives:

The Off the Street Emergency Shelter at 200 Larch St. is also open evenings, seven days a week, from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. It provides a warm place to sleep with light refreshments, outreach and referral services to individuals who are homeless. For more information, visit https://sm.cmha.ca/programs-services/off-the-street-emergency-shelter/.

The City, in partnership with the Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury (CSCGS) and the Homelessness Network, opened a daytime drop-in warming centre at 19 Frood Rd. in early October. The program operates seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. until May 31, 2021. For more information on the Day Centre, visit https://santesudbury.ca/2020/09/30/communique-bilingue-centre-jour/.

The City is supporting the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth (SACY) Warming Centre and Temporary Youth Shelter beds. It operates seven days a week, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. until the end of April. The space includes four beds and seating for 10, and is open to youth ages 16 to 24.

For more information on homelessness programs and services offered by the City of Greater Sudbury, visit https://www.greatersudbury.ca/live/community-housing/housing-services/homelessness-initiatives/.