More new faces in Sudbury needing help, many young families

The need to help vulnerable people and families struggling with the cost of living is evident in Sudbury, advocates say.

The Elgin Street Mission said it recently set a record for weekend meal service.

Those who work with the city's homeless said there are more new faces in the city and they expect the

On Sunday, it was a record day at the Elgin Street Mission downtown, which served 170 people for brunch -- the highest number in more than 30 years.

Volunteers cook at Sudbury's Elgin Street Mission. May 30/22 (Alana Everson/CTV Northern Ontario)

"We see from, you know, late 70s who have been here for 30 years and we see young families. So we have a lot of young families that are coming to eat, prices are through the roof," said Amanda Robichaud, the agency's director and chaplain.

Officials said they are seeing new faces on the streets and using shelters, and expect even more as the weather warms up. A trend they see every summer.

"We have seen an influx of new persons identifying as homeless, unfortunately, as they arrive in town, but we have not seen the big numbers yet," said Ray Landry, the coordinator of the Homelessness Network.

"We expect that that will grow sometime in July and through August because Sudbury is a very transitional town. People come through here from all directions."

Landry said since November, community partners have helped 120 homeless people find housing.

Right now, there are still over 100 people who are homeless and on the waiting list for a place to call home.