It's always tough, that time you show up where it's the first time you can't be there. Either because the program's ended, moved, changed times, or like in this case, you became not the right demographic.
It's especially tough when it's the only place you can go, and you're already hungry, and you've come a long way. That's what many people are going through at the entry to the 519's sunday breakfast and lunch programs. We used to be greeted with an open door and a lineup... now there's a sign-in desk.
Hopefully this improves things for LGBTQ soup kitchen users. As it was, the 519 was a place where they could share a meal with their straight buddies. So this won't just impact a lot of people's food security - it'll impact friendships as well.
It's sad, too. Apart from The Stop, the 519 is the only place where the staff actually know what's in the food. And maybe PARC. And maybe 40 Oaks? And why the change? Was it a matter of their funding being diluted? Was their program just becoming too popular to manage? Were they unable to keep the place safe and secure, with straight cis people included? Was it just too much of a gap to bridge?
It was probably because it was just too fucking crowded.
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