Major renovations have taken place at the new location for The Grind in Pembroke.
The community kitchen is serving about 150 meals a day, almost double what they did in their old location downtown Pembroke.
More work is expected to be complete soon with additional work planned in 2022.
A space for a Client Services Office is now fully functional to assist community members who face a variety of complex issues in navigating the health and social service system.
The Grind’s administrative and financial services operation is now functioning to assist clients with their information needs and life skills development.
The next phase of the renovations will see the development of three public washrooms, including an accessible single occupant washroom, a janitor’s closet, a shower/change room and a client lounge that will serve the Client Services Office and provide a warm-up, rest area for homeless clients who are waiting for service.
Once financial support is secured and renovations are completed, The Grind will reopen its signature Coffee House that will serve as safe, non-judgemental dining and social interaction space for community members who have no where else to go.
Plans are also in the works for The Grind’s food security operations, including food inspection and safe storage, as well as a market are where clients can obtain emergency food supplies that they select themselves depending on available supplies of donated and/or purchased food.
A second-level administrative area will also be refurbished allowing this function to vacate space allocated for client outreach operations.
Securing larger and more appropriate space for its operation has been critical for The Grind, especially since taking over the soup kitchen operation from the Salvation Army in March of 2019.
A dedication of the new facility at 273 Victoria Street in Pembroke took place on Friday (November 19th, 2021), to celebrate the ability to continue providing needed support services to the area’s marginalized and at-risk population.