A free food program in Thunder Bay expects to serve nearly 10,000 meals in its first year

Erin Beagle always knew she wanted to offer a free meal program, but didn't want it to be just about food.

That's why when one enters the Roots Community Food Centre in Thunder Bay, Ont., they're greeted by their neighbours.

In the dining room, vases of dried wildflowers from the organization's community gardens are placed on long tables pushed together. The walls are covered in artwork and the entire space is warmed by a real wooden fireplace.

Roots expects to have served 10,000 sit-down meals through its free seniors and elders food program by the end of its first year. It launched this past January and runs on Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It's open to anyone 60 or older.

More than 800,000 people in the province turned to emergency food support between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023, according to a recent report from Feed Ontario. The amount of people seeking food bank support rose 38 per cent last year, the largest single-year increase recorded by the province's food bank network.

Beyond food security, though, is the importance of addressing people's social needs, which is a key focus at Roots.

"Maybe 20, 25 per cent of the people are here because they need food, but for the most part, they're here because they want company, community and they believe in the power of food," said Beagle, the centre's executive director.

The Wednesday dinners draw in between 130 and 140 people each week, and between 50 and 60 people attend the Friday lunches. The final Friday of the month, Roots partners with the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre to offer a traditionally-inspired meal, using deer and moose seized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

One of the reasons why Jim Bishop keeps coming back to Roots is that no two meals are the same. While he's lived in the city for more than 40 years, he says the program has helped him to meet new people.

By 2036, seniors are expected to make up about a quarter of the country's total population, according to Statistics Canada. Meanwhile, between 19 and 24 per cent of Canadians over age 65 feel isolated from others and wish they could participate in more social activities.

"There's been a lot more isolation of people and this is really a community meal, and so it's feeding people, but not just physically. It's … sort of feeding the soul as well," said volunteer Cassie Martin. "As they're gathering together around large tables and dining, they seem to have a really good time."

Christopher Gill moved to Thunder Bay earlier this year to be closer to his son. He's known as the resident artist of the meal program and always comes with watercolour paints.

Sometimes he helps with the cooking and he's also organized a painting group.

"This definitely is an example of community activities where people who are otherwise alone in many cases or elderly can come together and see each other and chat. I think it's extraordinarily good for the community," Gill said of the meal program.