Scott Mission served over 500 people at annual Thanksgiving dinner as food insecurity deepens

Scott Mission, a downtown Toronto shelter and support organization, served more than 500 people a full Thanksgiving dinner on Monday, offering roasted turkey with gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and cake.

The meal required 70 turkeys, 400 pounds of potatoes, 22 kilograms of cranberry sauce, and more than 60 pies and cakes, prepared by dozens of volunteers.

Aldo Hernandez, the shelter's respite manager, said the organization has seen a 100% increase in people asking for food. "You can see the lineup outside, it's huge," Hernandez said. "But the impact that we are seeing is that we are steadily serving people thanks to the donors that we have."

Dinesh Surya, a Scott Mission client who attended Monday's dinner, described the organization's impact on his life. "When I came here, I was in very bad shape. I was like 40 kilograms, I had so many medications," Surya said. "But right now, I'm off my medications, I've got my weight back, and I don't wanna jinx it but I'm truly flying colours." Surya added: "I feel like I have a family here at Scott Mission."

Hans Dewilde, who has volunteered at Scott Mission for 18 years and participated in Monday's effort, said the meal carries deep meaning for guests. "A lot of these guys are homeless or they have different problems," Dewilde said. "But for this one day and Christmas, they are just thankful and grateful that they've got a hot meal, they've got a place to share it with, and people to share it with."

Scott Mission serves people facing homelessness, low-income families, children, and youth, offering shelter, counseling, and food. The organization existed in the 1930s, when its soup kitchens served about 1,000 people annually. Toronto food banks recorded more than 4.1 million visits from March 2024 to April 2025, according to the Who's Hungry Report produced by Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest Food Bank.