Martha’s Table, one of Kingston’s community centres that provides nutritious meals, has recently purchased the adjacent property of the building it currently resides in for a warming centre.

The building is a historical one, meaning several repairs will need to be made for it to be fully functional, but parts of it have been opened to the public as a warming centre that provides coffee and tea.

In a press release, Executive Director Ronda Candy said that, “the number of people unhoused in Kingston has tripled since the start of the pandemic, and most people walk to reach our facility, so this is an urgently needed service.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Martha’s Table had to reduce their services, but hope to open up soon again to serve three meals a day to those in need as soon as resources allow. Currently, Martha’s Table serves takeout meals from 12-2 p.m., seven days a week.

Ronda Candy spoke to the purchasing of the new property, what Martha’s Table hopes to achieve in the next year, and how people in the Kingston community can help. For the full interview, listen here: