GUEST SPEAKER: DARRYL RANCOURT – PRESIDENT – DURHAM OUTLOOK FOR THE NEEDY (ST VINCENT’S KITCHEN)
Introduced by Dave Andrews, Darryl grew up in Whitby married my wife Angela 24 years ago. They have two wonderful kids Caelan 21 and Calleigh 18. He works for Mikala Telecom & Network Solutions for 24 years . where he is General Manager. He Joined the Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise in 2016 and he Joined the board at Durham Outlook For the Needy Board of Directors (operating as St Vincent’s Kitchen) in 2020 and was elected President in 2022. Darryl loves spending time with my family and friends and being involved in the community.
Darryl joined the Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise in 2016 and on day 2, he was helping out at St Vincent’s kitchen. He was hooked. He met a son and mother and making connections really matter.
Durham Outlook for the Needy, located at their new facilities at 227 Simcoe St S, Oshawa, is the only year round kitchen that serves hot meals, in Durham Region. The cost is $1.50 per meal (and free if the patrons cannot afford that). Durham Outlook for the Needy is a non-profit organization started in July 1990 by a group of dedicated Oshawa residents, striving to help those in need in the Durham Region. With the help of over 500 volunteers each month from churches, numerous organizations and individuals, Durham Outlook for the Needy can provide nutritious daily meals in a dignified manner restaurant style. The first meal was served on Oct 15, 1990.
Durham Outlook For The Needy, A Community-Based Organization Serves And Supports People In Need By Providing Daily Nutritious Meals And Outreach To Patrons And Volunteers. We Do This With Partners Believing That Through Love, We Can Improve Patron’s Well-Being, Reduce The Impact Of Poverty And Create A Sense Of Belonging.
In order to achieve our mission, it is important that we demonstrate the following values: Hope, Compassion, Love, Patience, Kindness, and Respect for individual privacy.
Durham Outlook has 4 Programs:
The Kitchen - We are Durham Region’s only full-service barrier free soup kitchen. Volunteers serve meals restaurant style in a dignified manner.
The Food Bank - Open every Saturday 1pm-3pm side door. Food, clothing and necessities distributed. No ID required.
The Thrift Store - Offers new and gently used items to community members and patrons at a very low cost or free of charge when necessary.
Food Distribution Program - A pick-up and drop-off service for food banks, charities, and groups, including schools, who offer breakfast and lunch programs for students in need, in the Durham Region.
They look after 45 organizations that receive critical food delivery.
They have 500 volunteers each month.
They serve over 50,000 hot meals every year. Since they opened in 1990, they have served 1,585,136 meals.
They collect food from School Food Drives, Police Food Drives, Costco, Donut Shops, Feed the Need Durham,
Sobey’s. Freshco and Local Farms.
They distribute food to Archbishop Anthony Meagher Catholic CCEC, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventist, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Food Bank, New Life Neighbourhood Centre, Nursing Homes, Denise House, YWCA Apartments, Cornerstone Men’s Shelter, Community Living Oshawa Clarington, Gate 3:16, Girls Inc., Muslim Welfare Centre, Newcastle Food Bank, Bowmanville Group Home, Durham Family Court.
They have 2 Full Time and 1 Part Time staff: an Executive Director – Full Time (salaried) a Maintence/ Kitchen Supervisor – Full Time (hourly_ and a Volunteer Coordinator – Part Time /(hourly).
Their Patrons: Homeless, Lonely, Families, Seniors, Mental Health Struggles, and Street Youth.
In March 2023, over 5,000 people used Durham Outlook.
Their volunteers: community service groups, retired individuals, John Howard Society, Elizabeth Fry Society, Church groups, and schools.
Their community partners: Feed the Need Durham, Gate 3:16, John Howard Society, Community Living, St Vincent De Paul, Durham Separate & Public School Board, Durham Superior Court, Knights of Columbus, and Rotary Club’s. Including over 50+ community organizations, food banks, schools, and associations throughout all of Durham Region.
Their new location is their greatest achievement to date: Barrier Free, Accessible. On One-Level, an Expanded volunteer-base Better service Filling a need, and with Ample parking, with Public transit outside the door and New equipment - some great people and better service.
Their current greatest challenges: Increased Food Costs, Loss of Volunteers over Covid and Fundraising .
The Whitby Sunrise Rotary Club serves meals on the second Thursday of each month. If you would like to volunteer and help, get in touch with Darryl.
Darryl Rancourt, President of Durham Outlook For the Needy, chats with Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood President Linda Porritt . Darryl, a Whitby-Sunrise Rotarian, told us about the great work being done at Durham Outlook For The Needy at the August 1 meeting of the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood.
Contacts:
DARRYL RANCOURT | President, Board of Directors
HEATHERJONES | Volunteer Coordinator
VALERIE MORETON | Director of Operations
Please contact Valerie Moreton at valerie@durhamoutlook.ca with any questions or concerns
CRAIG SPENCER | Maintenance Supervisor
T: 905-434-7543
DURHAM OUTLOOK FOR THE NEEDY
227 Simcoe St S, Oshawa, ON L1H 4H3
T: (905) 434-7543
www.durhamoutlook.ca
Charitable Registration Number
13523 1124 RR0001
For more info go to : https://durhamoutlook.com
Ted Morrison thanked Darryl, for his talk tonight and also for being so instrumental with Partners In Service.
President Linda closed the meeting at 8:00 pm.
MORE INFORMATION ON THESE AND OTHER ROTARY EVENTS
AUG 8 - Regular Weekly Meeting – 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM . Oshawa Golf Club
Speaker: Dan Perlman, Vice Chair of the Rotary Action Group called RAM-
Global that’s Rotarians Against Malaria (we will be at the Golf Club and Dan will be
speaking to us on zoom from Aspen Colorado)
(see: https://www.ram-global.org )
AUG 9 – Rotary Club Board meeting at 7 pm at the offices of Thomas, Efraim LLP, McLaughlin Square, 50 Richmond St E Suite 110, Oshawa, ON L1G 7C7. Parking on Mary Street and Richmond Street (no charge after 6 pm).
AUG 18, 19 and 20 - Rotary Club of Oshawa Ribfest - volunteers required; Karen Dick is the contact person. We need to volunteer at this event!! Email was sent to all members asking for your help.
AUG 22 - Regular Weekly Meeting – 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM . Oshawa Golf Club
NO MEETING AT OSHAWA GOLF CLUB
SPOUSES NIGHT
AUG 26 & 27 – Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood promo tent at Autofest, at Lakeview Park 1638 Simcoe St S #1450, Oshawa, ON L1H 8J7, from 9 am to 5 pm.
AUG 29 - Regular Weekly Meeting – 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM .
- Speaker: Jennifer French, MPP Oshawa –
Her Annual Address for our Rotary Club
IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT, MAKE UP: Go online at www.rotary.org go to the club locator and find a club or clubs near your destination. Or you can add the free App Rotary Club Locator to your phone for instant look up of any club in the world. Please mail or fax your make-ups to Secretary Sue MacKinnon, or give your make-up card to the attendance/registration officer at the next club meeting.