New kitchen to benefit soup lunches, entire community

Submitted by Barb Purdy

St. Andrew’s-Chalmers Presbyterian Church wants to make you lunch!

The newly remodelled kitchen at St. Andrew’s-Chalmers Church will help accommodate larger groups for cooking, like the Community Soup Lunch program. Submitted by Barb Purdy

The church is wrapping up a major kitchen renovation that will help meet the rising demand for its use in the Community Soup Lunch program. The initiative, aimed at expanding the church’s capacity to serve hot, nutritious meals, comes at a time when, according to both the church and the local food bank, more local residents are facing food insecurity and social isolation.

For years, the church’s kitchen in St. Andrew’s Hall has quietly operated as a hub of care and connection. Now, with soup lunch attendees numbering close to 70 each week (including many Loaves and Fishes Food Bank clients), the existing kitchen proved to be no longer adequate.

In a show of local generosity, the Jericho Foundation, run by the Richard and Patricia Muir family, has pledged to match every public donation made toward the kitchen renovation up to $50,000. This means that every dollar contributed by the public will be doubled, effectively bringing the church to its kitchen fundraising goal of $100,000.

Other renovations to the church include the installation of a lift as well as an accessible washroom, making it easier for everybody who attends the soup lunches to fully use the building.

Church officials are encouraging residents, businesses, and community groups to contribute to the campaign. Donations of any size are welcome and will receive a tax receipt.

Contributions can be made by cheque (payable to St. Andrew’s-Chalmers Presbyterian Church); in person at the church office, Mon. - Fri., 9 a.m. - noon, 40 Toronto St. S.; or by etransfer to sacpc40@gmail.com

Soup lunches are held every Wednesday from 12 - 1 p.m. in St. Andrew’s Hall.