Siloam Mission serves hundreds of Thanksgiving meals

Thanksgiving came early for hundreds of people at Siloam Mission on Friday.

Hundreds of people in need were served a holiday meal in downtown Winnipeg thanks to over a month of preparation and community support.

Siloam Mission’s annual Thanksgiving meal was served on Friday afternoon, involving over 120 whole turkeys from donors that wished to remain anonymous.

“Lots of folks who come and who will be joining us today may not have friends or family to spend Thanksgiving with,” said Julianne Aitken, Silom Mission’s interim CEO.

“This is an opportunity for people to feel valued and important and also a sense of community having a meal together.”

According to Food Services Manager Marilou Castro, the feast also involved 140 pounds of potatoes, 120 pounds of coleslaw, stuffing and dinner rolls. Dessert featured different types of pies, all donated from four Hutterite colonies in Manitoba.

Castro said the amount of public donations leading up to the feast has been “amazing,” adding that it allows the non-profit organization to direct more funds into other services it offers to alleviate hardship.

She said planning for the feast began a month and a half in advance.

“We have three big meals here at Siloam, and Thanksgiving is my favourite one,” Castro said.

-With files from CTV’s Joseph Bernacki