Covid-19 Update, October 9, 2020 

In order to provide better service to our clients, the Centretown Emergency Food Centre will expand its current hours of service - Mondays and Fridays,12:00 (noon) until 1:30 pm - by opening on Tuesdays, starting October 13.

Since late March our food service has been relocated from our basement space to the former Chapel of CentretownUnited Church. Clients access our program directly from the door at the top of the ramp on the south side of the Church. This new location has enabled clients waiting for our service to maintain a safe social distance, and helped keep them, and our staff, free of infection. 

In compliance with new provincial rules, all clients must now wear face masks when entering our service area. We are very grateful to clients who come with their own personal protection, but we have a small supply of disposable face masks to offer those without.

While only staff  are now serving clients, several teams of volunteers continue to prepare the bags of food downstairs to minimize contact with others.

The Food Centre is very grateful to the Ottawa Food Bank for its strong support during this challenging time.  We also thank our churches and donors who have continued to send contributions, and for many other gestures of support, such as offers of PPE, including cloth masks, and garden produce.

The Centretown Emergency Food Centre, located at 507 Bank Street in the basement of Centretown United Church, serves those in need of food in the area of Ottawabordered by Wellington Street on the north, Billings Bridge to the south, Lyon Street to the west and Main Street, including Lees Avenue, to the east.

While the nature of our clientele has shifted over the years as the demographics of our catchment area have changed, demand for food from people living on social assistance, with disabilities and on low-income jobs has remained throughout the years. In particular, the Centre now serves a higher number of newcomers and children due to the recent increase in amount of subsidized housing available for families in Centretown.

Our full-time Coordinator directs the operation of the Food Centre with a small staff and the help of dedicated teams of volunteers. During COVID-19, the Food Centre has adapted its hours and service model to respect public health regulations and to protect clients, staff and volunteers from infection.