Ottawa Mission Serves 18,302 Easter Meals to Meet Continuing Extreme Hunger in Ottawa – A New Record

Ottawa, ON – During The Ottawa Mission’s special Easter meal service, which was held on April 5 for shelter and community members in our dining room, as well as the week prior through our Mobile Mission Meals food truck program, the shelter served 18,302 meals to those in need – a new record for an Easter meal. Several elected officials participated in serving this special meal today to shelter guests and community members.

Continuing food inflation, high rents and other factors have meant unprecedented increases in food insecurity in Ottawa, which has risen from one in seven to now more than one in four households in Ottawa according to Ottawa Public Health. To meet this deepening need, the Mission has expanded its food truck program to two trucks, 41 stops across Ottawa and serving over 11,500 meals a week. For the past three fiscal years, the shelter has served over one million meals to vulnerable community members across Ottawa through its shelter, community and food truck meals programs.

“This is a new record for our Easter meal and more than five times the number of meals we served for Easter 2019 before the pandemic. The astounding increase in hunger in our community is why we’ve expanded our food truck program so many times across our community,” noted Chef Ric Allen-Watson, Director of Food Services for the Mission.

“Our dedicated volunteers and exceptional kitchen staff worked hard to ensure that everyone had a delicious Easter meal. And a special thanks to our donors and supporters who have been profoundly generous in their continuing support of the Mission. A huge thank you to all,” Allen-Watson concluded.

About The Ottawa Mission
Since 1906, The Ottawa Mission has been serving the homeless, the hungry and the lost by providing food, clothing, shelter and skills. In 2024-2025, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 187 men every night and served an average of 3,312 meals every day.  The Ottawa Mission also provides to men and women health services, mental health and addiction treatment programs, hospice care, dental services, housing services, educational support, job training, spiritual care, and clothing to thousands in need in our community. In September 2020, The Ottawa Mission marked the one millionth hour that the shelter has been in existence since its founding in 1906. In 2019, the Mission became a housing-focused shelter reflective of its commitment to a home for everyone as a human right with the launch of a new housing department.

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
T 613.234.1144 x 305
C 613.712.3092
aleo@ottawamission.com