By Roger Gilbert
Published March 2026
If you stand by the doors of the new St. John’s Kitchen, you see the constant flow as people come in and out. Some go immediately left to access showers, washrooms, laundry; others turn right to enter the dining room and select a table either alone or with friends. Each day some 350-400 people visit the space.
As we all know, this winter has been exceptionally cold. The impact for many we support is significant. Those living in encampments and outside or who are precariously housed, have significant risks to their health and well being. St. John’s Kitchen has been a refuge for community during this winter. A place to get respite from the cold, a warm meal and coffee, a place to connect and feel part of community, and to be able to access so many other critical services in one centralized location. We are able to keep eyes and ears on the vulnerable members of our community and buffer the effects of this harsh winter to focus on wellness, connection, and belonging.
We have all been grateful for how smooth the transition to the new space has been. We have heard how this beautiful new space has been built with so much intention, based on our experiences over many years of serving a daily meal. It has felt very quickly like the community’s space at the heart of St. John’s Kitchen.
Here is a further list of all the connections that go on in the St. John’s Kitchen regularly:
- Working Centre teams and community partners help to embed resources in the space, making them equitable and accessible. For example, 100 – 120 people utilize the market table, the showers are used up to 20 times a day, while 10 people access the laundry. The public washrooms are busy all day long.
- Our Street Outreach teams meet to problem-solve a wide range of life issues and help people to have all their paper-work ready to qualify for housing.
- The Specialized Outreach team meets with people to help with overall personal and emotional stability, wound care, mental health supports, and system navigation.
- Our Money Matters team is present to support financial problem-solving, income tax preparation, and registration for benefits like the Canadian Dental Benefit.
- The Working Centre hosts a Hart Hub employment role that visits a variety of community agencies, including St. John’s Kitchen.
- There are three Community Health Caring (CHC) medical clinics scheduled weekly.
- CMHA is present with their Here24/7 team to support community referrals.
- The CHC has recently resumed their ID clinic one day a week.
- There is an upcoming pet clinic happening in partnership with Sanguen.
- Starling housing team regularly meets with people on site.
Our SJK team supports this access to services, to food, snacks, water, as well as appropriate clothing, socks, gloves, and footwear. The pace is constant and engaging as we listen actively to each person’s needs, helping to respond to the basic needs of today.
Food and drinks are available throughout the day ensuring everyone has enough to eat. People can eat in the dining room with plates and mugs, or they can choose take-away containers.
Flow is probably the best word for the space. Watching the flow of people, of the generous volunteers helping to make services run smoothly, of our team responding to a conflict or helping problem-solve a particular need or simply offering a daily greeting of welcome. We are so pleased with this new home for St. John’s Kitchen. It was built to suit the flow, built with so much intention. It has felt very quickly like a true community space, as people participate actively, settle into the space with respect, and join the wide community that makes St. John’s Kitchen possible.
