Estevan's Warm Welcome Kitchen has navigated through all the storms this year, and has adapted its operation to continue serving suppers twice a week.
The kitchen has steadily been offering hot, fully-cooked and prepared meals that can be picked up in a takeout container. The locations and times have changed since the beginning of the year. Meals are now served on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Trinity Lutheran Church, from 5:30-6:15 p.m.
Warm Welcome Kitchen will continue supporting their patrons all the way through the winter and into the spring. As they've always done in the past, they will take a break over the holidays starting Dec. 17, and they will start back on Jan. 5, 2021.
The general situation at the kitchen since the beginning of the 2020-21 season has been good.
"So far it's going really well. We had a lot of changes because of COVID, and one of our churches shut down and we had to move. But all in all, it's going really well. I think we are serving about 50 people each time," said Wendy Godfrey, who is the chairperson of the Warm Welcome board.
Due to COVID restrictions, people couldn't dine in anymore, which unfortunately temporarily took the social aspect away, but at least those volunteering their time with the kitchen know that everyone who wants some good food can get it.
Since the beginning of the season, regular visitors and new clients have been coming to the door to pick up their food. If there's a lineup, patrons are asked to distance, while volunteers are delivering their packages.
The kitchen had to skip a couple of meals in the recent past. Godfrey explained that it took them some time to adjust when the new regulations came into place. Besides, Christa Jorgensen, who is the kitchen co-ordinator, was the only person cooking for them, and when she was unavailable they had to cancel, too.
"We now have a lady who has volunteered to be backup for (Jorgensen), so we shouldn't be missing any more meals. Both of them are very experienced in cooking for large crowds, so they have no problems putting together a great meal," Godfrey said.
Warm Welcome Kitchen keeps their meals diverse for patrons to enjoy.
"It's a different meal every time, and it's a full proper meal with meat and a side dish, and vegetables, sometimes a bun."
When food is cooked, a few volunteers come in to help package meals and then deliver them to people outside. There are only up to three volunteers helping with delivery at a time, but Godfrey said they always welcome volunteers or organizations to join them and help with their work.
"Volunteers are a little harder to come by now. Some people are a little uncomfortable and helping because of COVID, which is understandable … But there is always a need for volunteers."
Godfrey added that financially they are in good shape, for now, thanks to generous individuals and organizations that supported them in the past. But going into the future they will consider running a fundraiser to make sure they always have funds available to keep their service going.
"Mostly we just rely on donations from people. And people in the community have been really generous. We've been really fortunate for that," Godfrey said.
