A new food truck on city streets is offering more than just eats, it’s helping fund a recovery centre and is being staffed with people in recovery.
“We’re helping break down the stigma and showing that people, we’re all in recovery ourselves, are healthy and happy and we’re doing a job,” said Michael Montredmond, office manager for the future Eleven-Eleven restaurant.
All profits from the Eleven-Eleven food truck, operated by the Fresh Start Recovery Centre, will benefit the centre. Tthe names of the menu items were selected to encourage dialogue on addiction recovery. “It shouldn’t be something we should be ashamed of,” said Laura Jenkens, a partner in the project. “We should be able to talk about it and understand that it is a health issue, a mental health issue.”
“If we can talk about it maybe that message can get out to other people so that they can seek help if they want it.”
The truck is a precursor to the Eleven-Eleven restaurant that is scheduled to open in the coming months near the intersection of Memorial Drive and 10 Street Northwest . The cafe will operate under the same model within the social enterprise project.
With files from CTV’s Kevin Fleming
