One year after financial turmoil forced a major reorganization, The Gathering Place is operating on a tighter budget while continuing to serve North Bay’s food-insecure residents—though donations remain a significant concern.
Operations manager Alicia Smith and board chairman Peter Gregory sat down with Small Town Times to discuss how the community kitchen has stabilized its finances while adapting its service model to meet ongoing demand.
The organization has reduced its annual operating expenses to approximately $384,000—down from previous years through systematic cost-cutting measures.
“We sat down and took a look at the expenses and we looked at areas that we thought were way over budget,” Gregory explained. “We’ve cut our cost by at least 30% in the last 12 months.”
Some cuts were straightforward. The organization was spending nearly $1,000 monthly on commercial garbage collection; they now work with an individual who accepts gift cards for the service. Computer services, previously costing about $900 per month, are now handled through a partnership with another social service agency—The Gathering Place provides meals for their clients in exchange for IT support.
The most significant savings came from stepping away from the community garden, which had required $40,000 annually in staffing costs. The city now operates the garden with its own employees and delivers the harvest to The Gathering Place, allowing the organization to benefit without the overhead.
Adjusting Service Delivery
Cost reductions meant difficult decisions about staffing and programming. The organization reduced from three meals daily to serving only lunch, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
“It’s been a little bit of a challenge navigating our operations,” Smith acknowledged. “Unfortunately, we did have to let some of our staff go.”
The current team consists of six people—two full-time and four part-time—including a kitchen manager, sous chef, two food rescue staff members, and 82-year-old Grace Weekes, affectionately known as “Auntie,” who serves as an extra pair of hands twice weekly.
Despite reduced hours, demand has grown. The Gathering Place now serves 100 to 110 people during lunch—up from 60 to 70 in previous years. To address dinner needs, staff send guests home with extra sandwiches and snacks.
Food Rescue Program Expands Impact
The organization’s food rescue program has become central to its operations. Grocery stores donate products that are damaged or nearing expiry, which staff use for menu planning throughout the week.
“We actually get so much grocery products coming in that we’re able to disperse and share that into the community,” Smith said.
The program now supplies family food boxes to partner agencies including the Canadian Mental Health Association, Children’s Aid Society, True Self, and Community Living. Case workers can call during operating hours when families or individuals are struggling with food insecurity, and staff prepare boxes for pickup. The organization has capped distribution at 15 daily family boxes to manage capacity.
Who They Serve
Smith emphasized that The Gathering Place serves a diverse population, countering misconceptions that it primarily feeds unhoused individuals.
“There’s a stigma about us as a soup kitchen that we’re only feeding the unhoused population,” she said. “The reality is it’s only about 20% of our population who is actually unhoused.”
The majority are working-class families struggling to make ends meet, seniors, students, and people who lack cooking facilities or knowledge. “Food insecurity is impacting everyone on a big level throughout the city,” Smith noted. “We’re low barrier and we welcome anyone who’s hungry.”
The Donation Gap
Despite operational improvements, The Gathering Place faces a critical funding challenge. The organization receives $50,000 annually from the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board, leaving more than $330,000 that must come from donations and fundraising.
This year, donations are down 22% compared to last year—a drop Gregory attributes partly to public perception following the financial difficulties.
“People think that we have squandered money, we have wasted money,” Gregory said, defending the organization’s previous wage structure as comparable to similar organizations. “We weren’t paying them any more or any less than anybody else.”
The inconsistency of donations makes budgeting difficult. “This month we’ll get x amount of dollars and next month we’ll get a whole whack and so we pay off the month prior,” Gregory explained. “You don’t get ahead and that’s the problem.”
The organization is seeking sustainable monthly donations to improve financial planning. “It doesn’t matter the amount,” Gregory said. “The fact is they’re donating on a monthly basis—that’s better for us.”
Community Support
Some businesses provide consistent support. Rebuilt Resources contributes $1,000 monthly and recently purchased a $900 industrial vacuum sealer when The Gathering Place’s equipment failed. Other donors have provided $5,000 to $10,000 contributions.
The organization’s flagship fundraiser, Soups On, takes place November 7 at the Grande Event Centre from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. About 17 local restaurants participate, with attendees paying $15 to sample soups and vote for their favorites. Last year’s event raised $15,000.
Running Lean
Gregory emphasized the organization’s commitment to eliminating waste. Farmers now collect food scraps, and staff recently installed a switch on the large coffee maker to prevent it from heating water overnight unnecessarily.
“There is no waste here—financially, monetarily, or even with the food,” Gregory said.
He invited community members with concerns or suggestions to reach out. “Call me, call Alicia, call the gathering place and we’ll listen to you. And if it makes sense, we’ll put it into place.”
Looking ahead, Gregory said the organization has stabilized but needs increased community support to maintain services. “We’re trying to run it as a business now,” he said. “We need more money coming in on a regular basis and it’ll be a lot easier for us to manage if we have that type of resources coming in.”
For those interested in supporting The Gathering Place through monthly donations or learning more about volunteer opportunities, contact the organization directly and check out its Facebook Page.
NOTE: This article was produced using Claude AI based on the rough transcript of the video interview. Please advise the [email protected]
Writer, photographer and proud father. My mom's family is from the Soo with its Algoma Highlands, dad hailed from Cobden in the Ottawa Valley and I spent my teen years in Capreol. Summers were at the beach on the Vermillion River and winters at 'The Rink.' Born in East York but Toronto never was my thing. Ever since a kid looking out the window on long trips, I imagined living on the highway in a little house with a big yard and trees growing all around me.
