Soup Shack pausing service after losing downtown parking space

A mobile soup shack used to feed the homeless in downtown Windsor has been forced to hit the pause button.

The Street Angels Soup Shack, a Feeding Windsor Essex program, has been operating since Nov. 21, 2022.

It has been parked in the Throne of Grace Church parking lot at 405 Victoria St. but officials say they are no longer able to stay stationed at that location.

Merrisa Mills, Director of Street Angels, says the church can't accommodate their needs anymore, which means they have no home.

"I think there's a bit of a misconception with the Soup Shack, people think it's mobile, that we travel around and serve soup out of the back," she says. "Actually, our goal is to park it in one location so that service users know exactly where they can access service, we want to provide something that's consistent."

While organizers have spoken to several churches within the downtown core about a spot, they were not able to find another site.

The Soup Shack is currently parked at 999 Drouillard Road at New Song Church/Feeding Windsor Essex.

Mills says that's why they've put a pause on the program while the search for a new location downtown.

"If we don't get a new home, we are going to resume service in that parking lot on Monday," she says. "Unfortunately, we wouldn't be reaching out target demographic and so the Soup Shack wouldn't be serving it's ultimate purpose."

The Soup Shack has been serving an average of 40-50 people per day, 7 days a week from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., while also providing clothing and supplies to those in need.

With files from Rob Hindi