Submitted by Noreen Steinacher
This fall is different from other years in that The Meeting Place (TMP) has been in near full operation all summer. So most programs and services continue, but we want to remind the community about what’s open; what you can get involved with.
TMP is wrapping all of its social and community support programs under the new banner of ‘Connect To Community’. The popular in-person (or call-in) Community Information Service or CIRC at TMP has a new resource we want to inform you about. We have collaborated with Bruce County Housing Services to directly help residents with access to housing and housing related resources through The Meeting Place. This fall and winter might bring new challenges on securing basic needs and other resources so we encourage you to call 519-596-2313 or e-mail Karla at info@tobermorymeetingplace.com with your questions or inquiries. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, TMP Community Coordinator is on-site.
NP CoWork Space Opens
NP CoWork Space at The Meeting Place was launched on September 24th and since then a number of entrepreneurs, adult learners and people interested in supporting small business have dropped in. Weekly hours are Thursdays and Fridays, 10-4pm. If you work or study at home and want a break and an opportunity to talk with other like-minded people in your community then we invite you to come in to The Meeting Place and see what the CoWork Space has to offer. First up is a good cup of coffee. The Meeting Place wants to support a diverse economy in the area and there is a lot of talent out there putting their business ideas into practice.
In the post pandemic (I’m being optimistic), food security will continue to be a challenge with food prices going up and access to fresh food not so good as the summer winds down. One of the newly designed food programs at The Meeting Place – the Good To Go Guided (G2G) Meal program – remains “wildly popular” as one resident put it. Seventy different households have participated since February and 882 meal kits have been distributed. That is fantastic! The program also rescued surplus food to the tune of 131 kg (see photos of tomatoes ‘gleaned’ from the field and quickly distributed or prepared). G2G also creates a video guide every week.
One of the cool developments this fall is an October partnership with the Peninsula Bruce Trail Club creating Trail Snack kits and for November, a collaboration with M’wikwedong Friendship Centre and Nawash Family Services to produce meal kits with traditional recipes and ingredients. Looking forward to this!
Along the way there has been an increase in ‘community chefs’ producing videos to guide people in preparing these wonderful meals. You can join the cooking community by going to The Meeting Place website tobermorymeetingplace.com under food programs and it’s easy to see what’s cooking each week and register. Best of all we invite participants to contribute in whatever way works best for them; those who contribute more money help to provide more kits for less economically stable participants and those who contribute time, help to support the program energetically for everyone.
Last thing on the list – there are a couple of things we need your input or contribution toward as far as programs opening. We are quite sure we can safely open the mini gym at The Meeting Place. We have six pieces of fitness equipment and the treadmill is the most popular. It’s not working right now and beyond our repair skills. We are asking anyone in the community who has a ‘gently used’, good quality treadmill and has not used it for 6 months to consider donating it to The Meeting Place. And you can always come out and use it and the other equipment at TMP. Give us a call at 519-596-2313 if you have a donation; treadmill or cash donation would be greatly appreciated.
On another note, The Meeting Place has not started up any Children and Youth programs. We want input from parents or grandparents. If you have a youth between the ages of 12 – 16 and would like them to participate in a youth program sometime this year let us know.
