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But, at The Compass, what has not changed is our commitment to our community and our dedication to helping those in need. We continue to prepare custom, pick-up food orders for our clients, as requested over the phone or online. For drop-ins, we are distributing hampers at the door to help them until their next visit. We also have a volunteer working remotely to assist clients with CERB applications.

The kind of change we have experienced in the last six weeks has made many of us feel stressed and anxious. Stress and anxiety can affect our physical and mental health, and our relationships. Can you imagine what it would be like to go through this time without money to buy food or pay rent? That is the uncertainty a number of our clients are facing.

The Compass is grateful to be here to support the vulnerable in our community, and we can only do that with your help. Our volunteers are our biggest supporters, and right now many of our volunteers are playing an important part in the fight against COVID-19 by staying at home. We are all in this together.

A core team of volunteers is working on site at The Compass, with the number of volunteers in the market reduced from 15+ to six, so we can maintain physical distancing. A number of volunteers are working remotely, helping with pick-ups, sharing our social media messages and letting the community know how people can support The Compass at this time.

Our hours have also been extended, so we are now distributing food Mondays from Noon to 7:30 p.m., and Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Clients schedule their weekly pick-up time, and place orders for custom hampers on our website. On arrival, clients are greeted outside from a safe distance and called by name to pick up their hamper. We have taken many steps to ensure everyone’s safety.

We are also grateful to the many businesses across the city that are working hard to keep us going. We have received meals from Paramount Fine Foods, Park Royal Fish & Chips, Pump House Grille and My Secret Kitchen to name a few. And we have received food donations from Loblaws, Sobeys, Winners, HomeSense and more.

Our greatest need right now is for financial donations, which allow us to immediately buy the most-needed supplies at lower-than-retail prices. With hard work and communication we can all get through this together. Lucie Zima, a long-time Compass volunteer, is hopeful that, “when the dust settles, our core values as a society—kindness, gentleness, patience, mindfulness and generosity of spirit—will prevail. What a wonderful result from an unprecedentedly tumultuous time that would be.”

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