Beautiful New Durham Outlook Building Ready to Open!

Covid 19 was bad news, and it was good news for Durham Outlook - After purchasing the land at 227 Simcoe in 2014 for our new location and then years of delayed construction to remediate the contaminated site and suffering significantly depleted funds, the bad news of the world shut-down due to the pandemic forced our doors of service to the food insecure in our community to close, but the good news was that it allowed us to sell our former building. Using the funds generated from this sale, the construction of the new building was finally able to be brought to completion. It is ready!
 
At this time, groups of former volunteers, shift supervisors and coordinators are undergoing orientation and enjoying touring the new building. They are thrilled to see the professionally designed and equipped kitchen, the beautiful and comfortable restaurant-style dining room, the highly practical and functional layout and operations, as well as the incredible relief of a fully accessible bright and open building. The staff and teams of volunteers are so looking forward to the first opportunities to welcome our patrons back and serve them healthy and nourishing meals once again. 
 
The DOFN Board of Directors, staff and especially the fundraising committee will be eternally grateful to all members and levels of our community who have contributed to our building fund over these past years to bring us finally to this moment of hope and promise. For over 30 years, Durham Outlook’s Kitchen has served dinner meals all year round to members of our community who find themselves in circumstances of food insecurity, and the time it has taken to achieve our long-term goal of a new building has been disheartening to many. With gratitude and joy, we are now poised to resume the service to the community envisioned by the founding members. While debt and expenses continue, we now have a facility that is ready to serve!

Durham Outlook will open on Thursday, March 10 for dinner service from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.!

ABOUT DURHAM OUTLOOK
 
Durham Outlook (DOFN) operates the only dinner services of its kind in the Durham Region. For over 30 years, DOFN has supported the community through the kitchen by providing a meal to any person who walks though the doors. 1.4 million meals have been served at the kitchen, with an average of 200 meals a day, to some of the community's most vulnerable people - including senior citizens, families with small children, at-risk youth, people with disabilities, and those who are homeless.
 
DOFN's mission is to offer dignity, hope and compassion to those who need it most. Help support DOFN's mission by contributing to the on-going building fund today (durhamoutlook.com/new-building/building-campaign) will help ensure that we can continue to support our Durham community.