The Romero House soup kitchen on Brunswick Drive in Saint John. Image: Staff photo

As inflation continues to rise, so does the number of people visiting a Saint John soup kitchen.

Romero House served 799 meals on Thanksgiving Monday — the highest one-day total in its history.

That is up from 471 meals on the same day just two years ago.

Executive Director Evelyn McNulty said Thanksgiving is their busiest day of the year.

“Anyone who can go home or be invited somewhere, generally that happens at Christmas time. Last Thanksgiving, which was hugely busy, was 605 [meals].” McNulty said.

McNulty said she has noticed a big increase in need with 15,000 meals served during the month of September alone.

The higher numbers of people coming for a meal include many families with small children.

“There’s been quite a dramatic increase from the 10,000 mark to the 15,000 mark since March,” McNulty said.

Prior to the pandemic, Romero House would serve 70,000 meals in one year.

McNulty said they are using a tremendous amount of food.

“Unbelievably and miraculously, or however you want to look at it, we have not run out of food. We’ve never run out of hands to prepare the food or the finances for the building,” McNulty said.

As for supplies, McNulty said they are always looking for everything.

“We have a list we post on Facebook. It’s pretty much a standard household kind of list of things you would use,” McNulty.

It took 270 cans of beans to prepare beans and weiners for visitors at Romero House.

Meals are served from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day, but McNulty noted if someone is outside and the meal is ready at 8:30 a.m., they will be fed.

McNulty thinks everyone is feeling the squeeze right now.

“Christmas is coming. There is a lot of stress coming. The Empty Stocking Fund is no more. A lot of things I foresee coming up in the future that are going to be hard on people,” she said.

“If people could be a little kind and less judgemental and try to walk in someone else’s shoes. Do what they can do in their own little corner to make the world a better place.”

Romero House can be reached by calling 506-642-7447.

Romero House gave out 799 meals on Thanksgiving Monday, October 10th. A new record. pic.twitter.com/eO1zX64fLE

— Tamara Steele (@tamarasteele1) October 18, 2022