Guest Post by Jim Butts via Joe Barkovich (from a reporters notebook) 

Sunday, December 1 will mark the three-year anniversary of the Welland Community Breakfast Program held at Holy Trinity Anglican Church on Division Street in Welland.

The program is volunteer based and funded through grants and donations. Over the past three years, more than 85,000 meals have been served to people struggling with food insecurity. The genesis of the program was an encounter with a homeless individual on the church property. Once given a hot meal this individual’s demeanour switched from being confrontational to become thankful and polite. He was ‘H’angry”.

So many individuals who wander the streets are in this position of not having a meal. If a hot, nourishing breakfast could be provided to start their day, their interaction with the public and each other would become kinder.

 

A menu was developed that could be easily put together by the 31 volunteer teams, and still meet the goal of being healthy and filling.

Pots of oatmeal porridge are made each day and packaged into takeout cups with a scoop of brown sugar on top. A breakfast sandwich made from English muffins, fresh eggs, real cheddar cheese and a slice of ham are wrapped in foil. These two items along with a bottle of 100% juice, a napkin and serving spoon are placed in a brown paper bag and distributed through a takeout window. Each guest can select tea or coffee prepared as they enjoy it, with bottled water available upon request.

There is a different team for each day of the month, with 5 – 7 volunteers on each team. Volunteers arrive at 6:30 a.m. and for the first hour the food is prepped and packaged. Meals are served between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. by which time the kitchen cleanup is complete and volunteers leave to get on with their day.

Over the three-year period there are still many of the original volunteers who faithfully complete their shift each month. They teach and guide any newcomers to retain the same level of quality in food and service our guests have grown to enjoy. Some of the volunteers who prefer to be more involved, join more than one team and come out two or three times each month. Without the dedication of the 160 + women, men and youth who faithfully serve in all weather conditions, this program could not exist.

Seven days a week, 365 days a year we are there to make sure no one has to start their day in hunger.

(Jim Butts is a parishioner at Holy Trinity Anglican Church).