Homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity are not just big city problems.
That’s why Kathy Sloggett of the Crystal Ridge Dream Centre in the heart of historic Crystal Beach is grateful for a cash infusion from the Niagara Community Foundation’s David S. Howes Fund. Sloggett and her team of staff and volunteers used the $25,000 grant to prepare and serve between 300 and 400 meals a week. The twice-a-week grab-and-go meals are just one of the many community building programs offered by the centre, but they are helping a vulnerable group of neighbours, Sloggett said.
The meal program started in September 2020, when the pandemic had shut down a local church’s sit-down meal service, which prompted Sloggett and her staff to step up with a drive-thru option.
“Just because there’s a virus, people are still hungry, they still need to eat, and they didn’t have access to food because everything was closed,” Sloggett said. Her guests come from Crystal Beach, Ridgeway, and the greater Fort Erie area.
The nutritious and varied menu options are feeding more than peoples’ bellies. Sloggett and her staff and volunteers chat with the meal recipients and learn some details of their stories – developing relationships that demonstrate they care, and referring their guests to other community supports when needed.
Sloggett and her daughter, Gina Sloggett, the centre’s co-founder, are both graduates of Niagara College’s social work program, and they apply their education to the programs and services the centre offers for seniors and youth. Being able to add meals to their outreach fits with the vision Kathy has for serving the community.
Crystal Beach may be a small town, but the needs of her neighbours are big.
“I have always had a passion to be able to make a difference in the community,” Sloggett said. “That’s why we will continue to seek funding so we can keep this going.”
Photo Credit: Aaron & Tara Photography
