The 7-10 Club Society is no longer operating out of its longtime home in the Community Services building, which will be replaced by a supportive housing complex. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

in a lurch

‘It could take longer than I thought:’ 7-10 Club Society struggles to find new home

Sep 8, 2021 | 5:28 AM

NANAIMO — Being forced out of its headquarters is straining a free meal service for Nanaimo’s homeless and low-income earners.

The 7-10 Club Society officially closed its doors at the Community Services Building on Aug. 31 after 14 years at the Prideaux and Fitzwilliam St. location. The building will be torn down and turned into a 50-bed supportive housing facility.

7-10 Club Society board chair Gord Fuller said meals will be provided in the meantime in to-go bags and delivered to as many of their clients as they can find.

Fuller said they’ve received multiple rejections from weary landlords concerned about 7-10 Club clientele, most of which he said suffer from mental health and addictions issues.

“It’s a challenging population to work with and we get that,” Fuller said. “But they need help, they need food and that’s what we do.”

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He’s concerned their organization could without a home for longer than a short-term basis.

The social agency was handed a lifeline from the Nanaimo Foodshare Society to use its commercial kitchen.

Porridge, soup and sandwiches are prepared at the Pine St. location, bagged and then delivered by volunteers.

“We are trying to ensure as many people as possible are being fed,” Fuller said.

He’s confident they have the financial means to acquire a suitable long-term space with a dining hall to fulfill a key motto of feeding people with dignity and respect.

“Having a place that they can come into, sit down, socialize a little bit if they so choose and get out of the grind.”

Fuller noted the Salvation Army New Hope Centre has begun serving pancake breakfasts on an interim basis in reaction to their reduced service.

Andy Bellwood is a 7-10 Club regular customer who has been eating less since the non-profit’s regular home closed.

“It’s a daily factor in most of our lives that are on the street here, it’s sadly missed,” Bellwood said. “We desperately need another location.”

It’s not just the street crowd relying on the 7-10 Club, Bellwood said.

7-10 Club regular Andy Bellwood hopes the free meal service will return shortly in the downtown area.

“Low income people that have families and kids heavily rely on this resource that was abruptly shut down.”

Bellwood hopes the next 7-10 Club will be located in the downtown area.

The 7-10 Club Society has operated in Nanaimo since 1985 serving more than 100,000 meals annually Monday to Friday between 7 a.m and 10 a.m.

People that could assist the 7-10 Club Society in its search for a new location are asked to email: info@nanaimo710club.com

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes