For decades, The Salvation Army in Windsor, Ontario, has hosted an annual Christmas dinner open to everyone in the community. This year, the event took place on Dec 13th, serving over 650 guests.

While Windsor’s Centre of Hope serves a weekly Community meal, the Christmas dinner was set up differently to make the experience more special for the guests. Community Engagement Specialist, Shannon Barnwell said,

“A lot of the people that we serve might be alone, they might not have anyone to share a meal with.”

“The Christmas dinner is not just providing a meal; we do a whole Christmas experience. It’s a nice sit-down kind of atmosphere,”

Everyone is welcome to attend The Salvation Army Christmas dinner; however, many of the guests in attendance are individuals who are currently in challenging situations or who do not have anyone to spend the holidays with. Providing a comfortable community atmosphere is one of the goals of the event.

The Salvation Army in Windsor is committed to helping the vulnerable population struggling with food insecurity. The Centre of Hope hosts a weekly community meal every Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m.