Volunteers haven't missed serving a free weekly dinner in 28 years. Now, they're making lunch

Inside a tiny kitchen in a London, Ont. church on a Tuesday morning, volunteers cram around the counter, finding ways to make the large pots, pans and trays all fit.

Some crack full cartons of eggs into a big tub to prepare an omelette, while others line up buns and cheese as hamburgers cook in the oven. In an overflow office, someone slices a vanilla cake and cherry pie for dessert.

Soon enough, full paper plates are hand delivered to each table, feeding dozens of guests who have come to rely on St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church’s weekly free lunch program that launched just over a year ago.

“I think programs like ours are a big part of consistency and structure [for guests] because they know they’re coming here every Tuesday. It’s their socialization, it’s their meals, it’s their structure and knowing they’re going to see us,” said program manager Heather McNamara.

A rotating team of close to 30 volunteers prepare the lunches for about 75 guests using donated food from local grocers and bakeries.

“We spend a good number of hours every week going and picking up this stuff from various people, so as Tuesday gets closer, we look at what we’ve got or what’s taking up a lot of room in the freezer,” explained lead volunteer Jill Sparling.

“Sometimes we don’t know what the meal is going to be until the morning, but we are generally able to put together a meal with protein, fruit and rice or potatoes, and send them away happy and full,” she said.

Weekly meals for a year may sound like a big commitment, but it’s second-nature for the London church that's been running a Saturday night dinner program for the last 28 years. They haven't missed a single meal, including during the pandemic when they turned to take-out.

“We’re just a drop in the bucket, but it matters,” said deacon John Thompson, who has been part of the Saturday dinner program for nearly two decades.

“What we do here on a Saturday night is core to what the church is all about. The church is not all about going to heaven – I’ll deal with that much later. This is about helping people who are fellow human beings.”

Unlike the lunch program, the food for the dinner program is purchased with funds the church raises during an annual 5K walk, he said, which will celebrate its 18th edition on Oct. 19.

“Unfortunately, there’s more and more need, and I don’t see our society responding terribly well,” Thompson said, adding that they feed about 200 people weekly.

“It seems our society can respond to a major crisis like a war or a pandemic, but not the ongoing crisis of homelessness in our country, or even just plain food insecurity here in London.”

People from all walks of life enjoy meals at the church, Thompson said, including people who are unhoused, retired and students. In his time helping with the program, Thompson has befriended many of them.

One of his fondest memories, he said, was meeting a woman who was homeless 15 years ago, but met a parish member who has since helped her find permanent housing.

“She often comes to our meal programs, but she comes not as a guest, but as a volunteer,” Thompson said. “She helps serve the meal. She does just about everything, including cleaning dirty dishes. Her life has been turned around, and she’s a changed person.”

Some guests at last Tuesday’s lunch program told CBC News the meal program has become part of their routine, not just for the food, but the opportunity to be part of a community.

“It helps me by giving me a place to stay out of the elements, to relax and to socialize,” said Brody Jayceleewek’es, who attends the Tuesday lunch weekly.

Despite being busy in the kitchen, Sparling said getting to know the community is one of her favourite parts of volunteering.

“You get to know them as individuals and you hear some of their backstories, which in some cases are heartbreaking,” she said. “Then, you get to share with them when something goes their way. It’s always nice when somebody gets an apartment or gets off the street.”

McNamara agreed, adding that the work also keeps her grounded.

“Everybody who comes in here has a story. We all have a story, and we can’t judge anyone because it could happen to us,” she said.