North Bay's soup kitchen is noticing some new faces as clients.
The unexpected increase in demand means there is a need for more volunteers.
June through august tends to be the peak time for the Gathering Place.
This year, the peak has come a little early
"When we looked at the main numbers, we're up about a thousand from April and probably up several hundred from where we normally are for the month of May, and it hasn't slowed down in June," said Dennis Chippa, The Gathering Place director.
While Chippa said there is no shortage of food at this point, it certainly has put a strain on the kitchen staff
"Whether it's 20 people extra per day, or 30, I just have to make sure everyone gets fed, and that's my top priority," said Michelle Langlois-Lebel, kitchen manager.
On most days, Langlois-Lebel said it can be tough, as there are often not enough volunteers to prepare the food.
She's not the only volunteer feeling the pinch.
"It depends on the day of the week, but I'd say about between 30-40 hours a week," said Tim Dreany, about his volunteer hours.
"We want to make sure that the volunteers aren't burnt out," said Chippa.
"Some of our volunteers commented last night about how busy it was for them and we are very concerned with that, so we had to bring in more volunteers so that they can serve."
Chippa told CTV there is a silver lining with the increase in traffic, as the group prepares for a move to its new location in 2018.
"It's like a nice training session for our volunteers and for our staff about what's going to happen in our new building, because it's going to be busier, because there are more seats available."
However, the focus is on managing what is expected to be a very busy summer, and Chippa invites anyone with time to volunteer to contact the gathering place.
