Annual Christmas dinner provides 2,000 meals to Windsor-Essex families

Macro Foods Co-owner Omar Abou-Said, left, and Greg Lemay held the 7th annual Christmas dinner on Saturday. (Source: Greg Lemay)

Meals prepared as part of the annual Christmas dinner by Macro Foods and Greg Lemay were distributed on Saturday.

The 7th annual Christmas dinner served 2,000 meals to households and community partners in Windsor-Essex.

“I think there was about 500 to 600 individual houses that we drove out to yesterday to provide that meal,” Lemay said in an interview on Sunday morning.

Lemay said he works to raise funds and purchase ingredients, which are prepared by staff at Macro Foods.

About 30 volunteer drivers toured the region on Saturday, delivering the prepared meals, which included turkey, gravy, stuffing, dinner rolls and vegetables.

“I know it's not a lot as we're doing it - you know, one day a year - but it's something that folks do appreciate come Christmas time or come the holidays,” he said.

Drop-offs were made at local supports such as the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Families and the Downtown Mission. Lemay said members of Windsor Police attended the event to help prepare the orders.

This year proved to be the annual event’s largest showing both in size and cost. In 2023, the dinner provided 1,500 meals.

“This year, you know, the total came in around $19,000, which was about $7,000 more than last year due to inflation and a little bit of an increase in meals,” Lemay said.

Lemay said the increased demand is likely tied to the higher cost of groceries. While Windsor has challenges with food insecurity, he acknowledged that the issue spreads beyond the region.

“You're at a point where people are having to make a choice between paying their bills and eating, and I think that's a problem. That's a massive problem that needs to be looked at and needs to be worked out because people aren't eating,” he said.

While it is only one day each year, Lemay said they intend to continue so long as there is a demand.