Thanksgiving Dinner at the Ottawa Booth Centre

Volunteers at the Booth Centre dished out meals to 720 guests, whose plates were brimming with holiday fare at the Salvation Army’s annual Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday October 13, 2019.

Guests were served heaping plates of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed vegetables cranberry sauce with desserts of pumpkin pie and ice cream.

The revelers were pleased not only because of the sumptuous turkey meals but also to meet and be served by two football players from the Ottawa Redblacks, Anthony Cioffi, 25, a linebacker from New Jersey; and R.J. Harris, 27, a wide receiver from New Hampshire. They have been with the team for two years.

The two Ottawa Redblack players pushed up their sleeves and helped the other volunteers, and kitchen staff serving meals. They later signed and handed out a large quantity of Redblack team caps. 

 They enjoy turkey, north and south of the border

The men jokingly said that they enjoy feasting on their Thanksgiving meals in October, here in Ottawa; and then returning to their American homes at the end of the football season and having another Thanksgiving meal in November. 

They said they volunteered here on Sunday to show their appreciation to Ottawa fans, who have been supportive of the Redblacks despite the poor season the team had this year.

John Fraser, the Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly for Ottawa South and a frequent volunteer at Booth Centre dinners, was also serving meals. He said with a smile that the Salvation Army events are “really way more civilized” than being in the confines of the often raucous Legislative Assembly of Ontario, at Queen's Park, in Toronto.

Mr. Fraser said he is struck by how warm and appreciative the folks are who turn out for Thanksgiving meals at the Booth Centre. He has been an MLA for six years, the same amount of time that he has been helping out at Salvation Army events.

Chaplain Louis, the food services coordinator at the Booth Centre, proudly said this was his 16th year participating in the Thanksgiving Day dinner.

The executive director of the OBC, Marc Provost, told the Ottawa Citizen in an interview that  the folks attending the October event are not all homeless. 

“There are an increasing number of people who are housed, but they’re precariously housed.  They are struggling to maintain that housing, and we’re happy to help. But the lack of affordable housing is an issue that we have to realize and talk about.”

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By Rod Macdonell