St. Andrew’s Church Suppers – Giving Back
Our first foray into volunteer work was when we lived in Hong Kong. My husband and I started taking our 12 year old daughter to Po Leung Kuk (Society for the Protection of Women and Children). We would go there once a month on Sunday to play with the children ages 1 year to 2 years old. We would have happily entertained and fed the older ones but weren’t able because we could not speak Cantonese to them. It was a humbling experience for us to play and feed the little ones who had not yet learned to speak. A hug and smile speak volumes when there’s a language barrier.
Yesterday my family and I spent 2 hours helping out at the church supper held in St. Andrew’s church hall. The suppers began 27 years ago as there was a need to feed the homeless, poor and needy. Every Sunday from 4pm to 6pm volunteers from all walks of life come to help serve a hot meal to 200 people (sometimes less, sometimes more). This is a huge weekly operation and the church relies on organizations such as Little Caesar’s Pizza, Feed Nova Scotia, Sobey’s etc. to help donate food items as well as the continued support of members from the general public.
I first found out about these suppers 2 years ago from a program at my daughter’s school. Armbrae Academy students in junior high and high school have a mandatory 30 hours community service as part of their extra curricular activities for the school year. There’s a list of organizations where the students can offer their time and ranges from volunteering at school events to serving food at St. Andrew’s Sunday suppers. I don’t know if all schools in the province have such a policy but they should!
While we were waiting for Grace to be said before the meal, I was standing next to a student and from our conversation he said he was from Cornwallis Junior High School. I asked him if he was here because of a community service policy with school and he said yes and also because his church mentioned volunteers were needed at the church suppers at St. Andrew’s. It was wonderful seeing students there helping out. As summer nears, St. Andrew’s volunteer numbers decrease as does some of the food donated. If you have time or can deliver baked goods once in a while, I encourage you to do so. Sweets seem to be the thing that they run short of in the summer. One of our family goals is to support the local community and helping out at church suppers is one of the many ways in which to contribute.
The Culinary Chase’s Note: Volunteer Canada says this about volunteerism:
“Volunteering is the most fundamental act of citizenship and philanthropy in our society. It is offering time, energy and skills of one’s own free will. It is an extension of being a good neighbor, transforming a collection of houses into a community, as people become involved in the improvement of their surroundings and choose to help others. By caring and contributing to change, volunteers decrease suffering and disparity, while they gain skills, self-esteem and change their lives. People work to improve the lives of their neighbors and, in return, enhance their own.”
Not sure where to volunteer or where to start? Click here for the Canadian Volunteer Directory.
St. Andrew’s church suppers are a great endeavour! Sweets are definitely appreciated, and also raw veggies and dip. A lot of the people that go to Sunday Suppers don’t get much fresh produce in their diets.
Thanks Anon! It’s amazing how well everything runs from the kitchen to the table and everyone who goes is treated as a guest.