For the second year in a row, the Orillia Youth Centre is unable to gather for its annual community Easter dinner due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The centre's director, Kevin Gangloff, says the staff and local youth will miss coming together this year to share in a big meal.
“We always opened up our community dinners to whoever wants to come, and being able to say to youth of all walks of life, ‘hey bring whoever you would like, a parent, a grandparent, a friend,’ it makes it a true community-style meal, which is what we are trying to keep alive right now,” he said.
When the pandemic closed the centre's doors last March, centre staff and community partners launched a meal delivery program to help feed local youth. Since then the centre has been able to deliver nearly 4,900 meals in the community.
On Saturday, more than 200 meals will be delivered to local youth to help ensure they have a tasty, healthy Easter meal.
“We see lots of smiles and appreciation when we deliver the meals. It’s nice for us, and it’s nice for the young people,” Gangloff said.
Despite the success of the program, Gangloff says there are still some challenges to not being able to invite youth inside the centre to dine in.
“The challenging part is that some of the youth that we support through this program don’t have the space to sit down and have a meal, which is a disappointing part of not being able to gather,” he said.
One of the positives to come out of the meal delivery program has been the various local businesses and clubs who have supported the program such as the Orillia Lions Club and multiple restaurants.
“It’s tough that we have to do this program, but it’s been really great seeing the different restaurants in town step up and rally around supporting the program and supporting youth,” Gangloff said.
For this Saturday’s Easter dinner delivery, Sweet Time Bake Shoppe and Coco’s cookies have stepped up to provided some sweet treats for dessert.
“To have them on board is a nice plus, they are great community people who have been so supportive of our community and the Youth Centre,” Gangloff said.
“It’s been a true community effort and it’s been unbelievable.”
Another proud supporter of the centre’s meal delivery program has been Marci Csumrik, a realtor with RE/MAX Orillia. Csumrik has supported each meal delivery program the centre has done over the past year by purchasing meals for local youth.
“She’s been involved with every step along the way. Her support is just tremendous and we can’t thank her enough,” Gangloff said.
Csumrik says she has been on board with supporting the centre’s meal program because she believes it’s important that youth in the community feel safe.
"It’s important that they have somewhere to go, somewhere they can rely on, and that’s the Youth Centre,” Csumrik said.
“The Youth Centre is such a phenomenal resource for the youth of today. It’s great working with Kevin and the centre staff, they are such an innovative group.”
Csumrik encourages other local residents and businesses to step up and get involved with helping the Youth Centre.
“A lot of us just have so much, and it feels so great to give back. It’s so rewarding to see how appreciative the youth and their families are when you bring them a meal,” she said.
