The lunch program is a pillar aspect of Casey House outpatient services that invites clients to enjoy a hot meal each weekday at noon. Each day there are two entrée options with a choice of fruit and juice. Clients can take their meal to-go with pre-packaged options distributed by volunteers or be served by our kitchen staff and eat in the dining room. For many, this will be their only hot meal of the day.
Food insecurity for our clients can manifest in many ways, such as when food was unavailable during the COVID-19 lockdowns, affordable ingredients being inaccessible, or even the inability to store food if their housing is unstable. With a foundational understanding of the tangible importance of a nutritious meal, we were able to expand our horizons and imagine a broader perspective of nourishment in a health care setting.
Casey House’s food philosophy
Our food philosophy includes four principles that are woven across our diverse programs and services:
Food is sustenance.
Food creates connections.
Food builds trust.
Food facilitates engagement
These concepts developed collaboratively by a cross-disciplinary group guided by our data knowledge and strategy team explore the relational threads that connect us through food. While everyone may not need a clinical service every day, they do need to eat. Providing food in a low-barrier environment creates an opportunity to build comfort, trust, and participation. If clients feel safe and supported enough to continually walk in and share a meal here, we wondered, ‘how can we bridge the connection into meaningful engagement with other outpatient services at Casey House so that they can thrive even further?’
Lunch service during holidays
Transforming lunch service
In 2024, with solid attendance for lunch, we sought to create an environment that fostered deeper client connections. First, the community’s need for food access has sharply increased post-pandemic. Even though lockdowns have passed, the impacts of newly acquired health conditions, housing instability, and economic/employment uncertainty are felt deeply by our community. Grounded by our existing principles of providing dignified service and client-centered design, the transformation was rigorously planned out over several months. We expanded our criteria for people eligible to access lunch to include people who are not yet registered as clients. With tremendous effort by our entire team, including the dedicated kitchen services crew, in May 2025 we lengthened our lunch service – extending it from one hour to two. Now, around 300 meals are served each day to registered and prospective clients. At Casey House, we believe that food is for everyone.
In-house baked desserts for special occasions
Beyond the food aspect of lunch, we want to ensure that folks walking through the doors at Casey House have an opportunity to connect with our amazing care team. Our peers (people with lived experience) play an important role as ambassadors who greet each client alongside our client support assistants. As welcoming hosts, peers are available to explain Casey House’s programs and services. They also host our new lobby refreshment area for anyone seeking more casual and chill conversation.
Our team of interdisciplinary clinicians take turns attending lunch to say hello to clients and make connections while dining alongside them. These are prime opportunities for clients to share updates on their health journeys, personal lives, or for clinicians to suggest booking an appointment with them. Lastly, one of the most notable adjustments with lunch is the recruitment of four new social service workers. These new team members are available each day to facilitate client registration, case management, and support existing and prospective clients at Casey House.
Take out lunch station
The feedback we receive from clients continues to guide us as we fine-tune adjustments to the new lunch service. Many clients have expressed gratitude for being able to access a hot, nutritious meal each day by our food services team.
From clients, we’ve heard:
“I never thought I would see the inside of this place”
“The quality of the lunch throughout the lunch program, literally worked to restore my dignity as a member of the gay community.”
“[Lunch] was lively and happy environment”
and even this 5-star review: “I feel very grateful thank you thank you thank you”
It is an honour and privilege to provide for our community members, and this could not be possible without the tireless work of our Casey House team. By sharing a meal together, we nourish and strengthen our relationships with others.
August 18, 2025
Reimagining lunch at Casey House
The lunch program is a pillar aspect of Casey House outpatient services that invites clients to enjoy a hot meal each weekday at noon. Each day there are two entrée options with a choice of fruit and juice. Clients can take their meal to-go with pre-packaged options distributed by volunteers or be served by our kitchen staff and eat in the dining room. For many, this will be their only hot meal of the day.
Food insecurity for our clients can manifest in many ways, such as when food was unavailable during the COVID-19 lockdowns, affordable ingredients being inaccessible, or even the inability to store food if their housing is unstable. With a foundational understanding of the tangible importance of a nutritious meal, we were able to expand our horizons and imagine a broader perspective of nourishment in a health care setting.
Casey House’s food philosophy
Our food philosophy includes four principles that are woven across our diverse programs and services:
These concepts developed collaboratively by a cross-disciplinary group guided by our data knowledge and strategy team explore the relational threads that connect us through food. While everyone may not need a clinical service every day, they do need to eat. Providing food in a low-barrier environment creates an opportunity to build comfort, trust, and participation. If clients feel safe and supported enough to continually walk in and share a meal here, we wondered, ‘how can we bridge the connection into meaningful engagement with other outpatient services at Casey House so that they can thrive even further?’
Lunch service during holidays
Transforming lunch service
In 2024, with solid attendance for lunch, we sought to create an environment that fostered deeper client connections. First, the community’s need for food access has sharply increased post-pandemic. Even though lockdowns have passed, the impacts of newly acquired health conditions, housing instability, and economic/employment uncertainty are felt deeply by our community. Grounded by our existing principles of providing dignified service and client-centered design, the transformation was rigorously planned out over several months. We expanded our criteria for people eligible to access lunch to include people who are not yet registered as clients. With tremendous effort by our entire team, including the dedicated kitchen services crew, in May 2025 we lengthened our lunch service – extending it from one hour to two. Now, around 300 meals are served each day to registered and prospective clients. At Casey House, we believe that food is for everyone.
In-house baked desserts for special occasions
Beyond the food aspect of lunch, we want to ensure that folks walking through the doors at Casey House have an opportunity to connect with our amazing care team. Our peers (people with lived experience) play an important role as ambassadors who greet each client alongside our client support assistants. As welcoming hosts, peers are available to explain Casey House’s programs and services. They also host our new lobby refreshment area for anyone seeking more casual and chill conversation.
Our team of interdisciplinary clinicians take turns attending lunch to say hello to clients and make connections while dining alongside them. These are prime opportunities for clients to share updates on their health journeys, personal lives, or for clinicians to suggest booking an appointment with them. Lastly, one of the most notable adjustments with lunch is the recruitment of four new social service workers. These new team members are available each day to facilitate client registration, case management, and support existing and prospective clients at Casey House.
Take out lunch station
The feedback we receive from clients continues to guide us as we fine-tune adjustments to the new lunch service. Many clients have expressed gratitude for being able to access a hot, nutritious meal each day by our food services team.
From clients, we’ve heard:
“I never thought I would see the inside of this place”
“The quality of the lunch throughout the lunch program, literally worked to restore my dignity as a member of the gay community.”
“[Lunch] was lively and happy environment”
and even this 5-star review: “I feel very grateful thank you thank you thank you”
It is an honour and privilege to provide for our community members, and this could not be possible without the tireless work of our Casey House team. By sharing a meal together, we nourish and strengthen our relationships with others.
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