St. John the Evangelist Church is a strong and energetic faith-filled parish community with a lengthy history of outreach. Our long-standing tradition in Christian faith leads us to prayer, worship and service to others.
For over 20 years, a weekly Thursday Community Supper has been offered for the people of this neighbourhood. Volunteers from St. John the Evangelist Church have been involved in this very worthwhile initiative since 2013. Our parish provides volunteers for one supper, the Knights of Columbus provides another supper and parishioners from St. Martha and Mary Anglican Church supply volunteers for the other two suppers in any given four week period.
Who attends these dinners?
Everyone is welcome. We offer a warm and accepting environment. We provide a nutritious meal for those financially in need, those who often eat alone, and those who would enjoy a good meal and good company. The people attending our suppers consist of single people, families with children, single-parent families, and seniors. Everyone in any stage of life is welcome to join us every Thursday. We usually serve between 45 and 60 guests each week.
Where are these dinners held?
Our weekly community supper takes place every Thursday afternoon at Weston Presbyterian Church (7 Cross Street). People usually start arriving around 3:30 PM. The dinner is served at 5 PM. There is no charge to attend. These dinners are a free service to the community and are sponsored by the churches involved.
Do you need any help with these suppers?
Yes, we do. For more information, please continue reading.
We need your help!
For our St. John's parish to continue being involved with these local community suppers, we need more volunteers!
We know from experience that this work is very worthwhile, and everyone who participates gains in both soul and body! Volunteering as such has many positive benefits. Studies show that people who volunteer are happier and healthier, with reduced stress and improved mental health!
We hope you'll consider volunteering with us. Here's some information about what's involved.
What specific tasks do you need help with?
Our volunteers participate in a wide variety of tasks including the following: setting up the tables and chairs for the meal, making the beverages (coffee, tea and juice), as well as cooking, preparing and serving the meal, and cleaning up afterwards.
I like to cook. Is there an opportunity for a volunteer to actually prepare the meal?
Yes, there is. Usually the cooking of the meat is done in the person's home so they can utilize their own oven etc. We have a number of volunteers who rotate the responsibility of preparing the meat portion of the meal, while others rotate the preparation of the other portions of the supper. Typically a volunteer might prepare the meat portion of the meal once every three months.
What does a typical meal consist of?
We serve a variety of meat dishes. For example, we might have chicken legs one month, ham the next, then lasagna, meatloaf etc. In addition, we serve potatoes, a salad, vegetables and dessert.
What is the time commitment for your volunteers?
We are very flexible in terms of a time commitment from volunteers. The suppers take place every Thursday, but our team is only scheduled every fourth Thursday. So volunteering with us is not a weekly commitment. When we are scheduled, some of our volunteers are at the church from 2 PM to 6:30 PM. However, other volunteers help us between 2 PM and 4 PM, while some are only available from about 4:45 PM to 6:30 PM. Our volunteers give us as many hours as they can based on their own schedules.
I've never volunteered before. What motivated your present volunteers to become involved?
Our team members volunteer for a wide variety of reasons:
– to improve our parish and our community
– to socialize and meet new people
– to learn new skills and utilize their skills and talents for the benefit of others
– to demonstrate to their children/grandchildren the importance of giving back to the community
– to feel a sense of satisfaction by giving of their time to help others and effect people in a positive way
I'd really like to help but I'm too busy.
We understand that. However, we are extending this invitation to volunteer with us because even one hour of your time spent with us makes a difference and will be a big help. Many hands make light work! Why not come out and join us for one of these dinners, have a good meal and see what we are about?
If you are interested in volunteering with us for these Thursday community suppers or if you would like more information about these suppers, please contact the parish office at:
telephone: 416-241- 0133 email: stjohntheevangelistwe@archtoronto.org
