Charities around Toronto opened their doors to those less fortunate something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving: a delicious hot meal and a sense of community. At Toronto’s Scott Mission and the Good Shepherd Ministries hundreds of people patiently waited to be served, many of them grateful for the programs that are helping them get back on their feet. “I’m thankful just for the roof over my head. I’m thankful for the peaceful sleep that I’m able to have here. I’m thankful for everything,” said Tudor Ciobanu, one of about three hundred people digging into a turkey dinner at the Scott Mission. For those who couldn’t dine in, volunteers filled reusable shopping bags with containers of salads, snacks and turkey. According to Scott Mission manager Aldo Hernandez, the goal is to make people regain their dignity and feel like they are part of a community. “The experience, for them, to know that they are human beings, that we care for them, that there’s people who love them, no matter what,” Hernandez said. At Good Shepherd Ministries, residents volunteered to turn what is normally a cafeteria to a sit-down dinner for 1600 people. Valerie Skinner, whose late brother was helped by the Good Shepard Ministries, helped put food on plates and loaded up trays that were taken to tables, saying she was here because of a personal connection. “When my brother was alive, the Good Shepherd helped my brother when he was struggling with addiction. I want to give back. I love to give back to this community, and I find this is an opportunity where I can,” Skinner said. One person eating at the Scott Mission was Dr. Richard Hart, who was last licensed as a surgeon in Ontario in 2023. In an interview with CTV News, Hart said he was defrauded of everything in a business deal, and started sleeping in the streets and parks since May. “Today is the day of Thanksgiving, so I’m not going to dwell on what happened. I’m going to give thanks for everybody here who took care of me when they heard my story and gave me a place to sleep,” he said. The number of people needing services like this is on the rise, according to Good Shepherd’s Executive Director, Akilu Wedaferew. “Overall, the demand is increasing. A lot of people are depending really for their daily necessities on places like Good Shepherd Ministries,” he said. Scott Mission’S Chief Executive Officer, Rocky Dundas, said there are plenty of pressures including rising grocery prices and rent that having him seeing more clients. “It’s food insecurity. It’s shelter. It’s clothing. It’s protection. All of those concerns are rising, and we see it – we’re at capacity,” he said. Several reports in late 2026 highlighted the challenges facing Ontario. Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office estimates the province’s homeless population rose 23 per cent since 2022. Public Health Ontario found that nearly a quarter of Ontario households are food insecure. And as for income assistance, Food Banks Canada gave Ontario a “D-“ on poverty experience, and an “F” for poverty measures, saying disability welfare gets a recipient to just 54.7 per cent of the poverty line. Ciobanu said he was tired of living in his car and was grateful for the help from Scott Mission. “People don’t keep eye contact with us. It’s very dehumanizing. This place, Scott Mission, makes me feel human again,” he said.
