{"id":55873,"date":"2018-10-03T14:06:42","date_gmt":"2018-10-03T18:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=55873"},"modified":"2018-10-03T14:15:58","modified_gmt":"2018-10-03T18:15:58","slug":"the-doors-lunch-program-helps-local-youth-find-balance-in-their-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/the-doors-lunch-program-helps-local-youth-find-balance-in-their-days\/","title":{"rendered":"The Door’s free lunch program helps local youth find balance in their days"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Whoever said there’s no such thing as a free lunch was wrong, at least when it comes to The Door Youth Centre. For the second school year, the organization is offering a free lunch to youth in our community every Wednesday and Friday from 11:30 to 12:30.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimply put, our aim is to support the youth of our community,\u201d says James Hunt, Director of The Door, \u201cand our lunch program is just another great way for us to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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And the kids love it. The Door is a short walk from Huntsville High School and as students neared the facility at lunch hour today, and could smell the burgers and hot dogs on the grill, their excitement was evident. Grade nine student Morgan McCartney put it simply: “I love free food day!”<\/p>\n

The twice-weekly free lunch was designed to supplement what happens at the high school\u2014a program there offers lunch on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for those students that need it. The Door’s lunch is open to everyone\u2014some come to eat and hang out on the youth centre’s comfy couches or to play a game of pool, some may have forgotten to bring a lunch or didn’t have anything at home to pack. Why they are there makes no difference to Hunt\u2014the kids will find smiling faces and whatever kind of support they need.<\/p>\n

“Our programs are open to everyone and we get a wide range of kids coming in, but for us at The Door we recognize that poverty is an issue here in Huntsville and across Muskoka and so we wanted to be able to meet that need,” says Hunt. “We know there are a lot of kids going to school without a lunch and really need that program. So we wanted to have a space that is safe and not judgemental for them to be able to get a meal and to socialize.”<\/p>\n

Volunteer Dave Wyville, who runs the grill, has been a volunteer at The Door for 10 years and can usually be found there Friday nights from 7-10 p.m. for the weekly drop-in. “With kids now, everything they are struggling with\u2014family problems, addiction problems\u2014I think it\u2019s really important,” he says. “I love working with youth. I\u2019m 61 years old and I still like hanging with them. I try to give them some type of guidance for whatever they struggle with and show them there is help out there and they can make it. Carry on, keep your chin up and keep going.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Wyville says the free lunch has been a popular addition to The Door’s programs. Their first lunch drew about eight people, but it now sees 80-90 kids each time.<\/p>\n\n\t\t