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It was hard for Ron Dunn not to get choked up Thursday as he stood at the podium poised to unveil the next step for Windsor’s expanding Downtown Mission.

“It’s a big day for the mission,” said the centre’s CEO. “We have celebrated lots of milestones, but this is certainly one of the biggest.”

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The mission will open a wellness centre this fall in its recently purchased four-storey building in the 800 block of Ouellette Avenue. The new location for the first time will allow guests who rely on the help centre to sleep on real beds instead of a thin foam mattress. They will also receive counselling and training to get back on their feet.

Last year, the Downtown Mission served more than 260,000 meals. It also provided clothing and 14,600 nights of accommodation to men, women and children struggling with poverty.

But throughout its history, the mission has operated without government funding and survived on donations from individual community members. Staff and volunteers were in a constant battle to find the cash to pay for so many meals and support.