Scott Mission offers Thanksgiving gift

Serves up turkey dinner, helps hundreds feel ‘at home’

Sandy Seymour sat quietly at a sixperson table at the Scott Mission while people around her chatted and laughed. She felt at peace, she said, just being surrounded by others on Thanksgiving Day.

“This time of year is very lonely for people who don’t have families and nowhere to go,” she said Monday morning. “Because when you are at home you are just wondering what is going on with everyone else and what other people are doing with their families. Here you feel at home, you’re with people.”

Seymour was one of about 300 people enjoying a turkey dinner at Scott Mission at Spadina Ave. and College St. for Thanksgiving Day.

The mission is a Christian, nondenominational organization, which offers meals to people in need. The Thanksgiving dinner, one of their most-special events, dates back to 1941. Many of the guests are frequent visitors at the mission, while some have just come for Thanksgiving to eat a meal with others.

“It’s important for people to be here who have nowhere else to go,” said Holly Thompson, public relations director for the Scott Mission. “We will see other people today that we have never seen before and we might never see again and this is our one chance to make them feel loved.”

Dinner was roasted turkey along with gravy, sweet potato soup, salad, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, mixed vegetables and pumpkin pie for dessert.

“I cook with great care and love,” said Ranjith Molligoda, the mission’s chef. “I know all the people’s names because for me it’s like they are visitors to my home, I put all my effort to make them happy.”

Little note cards of encouragement and inspiration sat on each of the plates and were read by guests before they had their meal. Some people slipped the cards into their pockets after dinner.

The Scott Mission has been providing support to the poor, homeless, abandoned and vulnerable since 1941, Thompson said.

The centre offers daily hot meals, bag lunches, a child-care centre, a summer camp and an after-school program for children and youth from low-income families. It also provides free clothing, groceries, and shower and laundry facilities for the homeless, as well as a 64-bed shelter.

Before he found a home, John Labko stayed at the overnight program at Scott Mission. He said that he used to come to the meal program every day. Now he comes once in a while, he added, and always on Thanksgiving.

“I come here on days like these,” he said Monday afternoon. “The people here are down to earth and welcoming. This is what Thanksgiving is all about here, being around people.”

The room at the mission echoed with laughter and chatter throughout the two meals.

“This place makes you feel at home, they always make you feel welcome and that’s a good feeling,” Seymour said. “Thanksgiving to me means peace and being around people, that’s what is the most important thing for me.”