800 eggs dished out during Easter brunch in DTES

Hundreds of people were served Easter brunch for a community meal in the Downtown Eastside Monday.

Cindy Cheung, community engagement coordinator with the Salvation Army, said the holiday meal was similar to the daily community meals served at the organizations Harbour Light centre in Vancouver — but with a holiday twist.

“Today we wanted to do something a little more special,” she said. “It’s a holiday event to celebrate hope and renewal.”

Altogether, Cheung said 800 eggs, 450 waffles and 450 hot cross buns were served to those in attendance.

The funds for the meal were provided by donations, sponsors and The Salvation Army itself.

“Easter is a time that we celebrate renewal and hope in our community,” Cheung said. “For a lot of our clients who come to Vancouver Harbour Light, this place represents a new beginning, a fresh start in their recovery journey.”

Fifteen volunteers dished out the meals for a few hours starting at around 11 a.m.

“We really appreciate it when volunteers come in,” Cheung said, noting the number of volunteers was a less than they would have for their Christmas or Thanksgiving meals.

Anyone interested in volunteering at the centre’s daily meals can fill out an application form online, Cheung added.

With files from Anthony Atanasov and OMNI.