Toronto, CANADA—In Toronto’s Parkdale neighborhood, the “St. Francis Table” has been a vital community hub for nearly 39 years. This unique “restaurant for the poor,” run by the Capuchin Outreach to the Poor of the Capuchin Friars of Central Canada, opened its doors on Christmas Day 1987. The initiative arose following an interfaith demographic study that had identified the opening of a low-cost food service for the needy in the area as a top priority.
The goal of the friars was not simply to establish a soup kitchen for the poor, but rather to create a food ministry that would restore dignity and self-esteem to its guests. For this reason, patrons are asked to make a symbolic contribution of $1 per meal. For this amount, St. Francis Table offers a full three-course meal that includes soup, a main course, dessert, and coffee, in a setting that provides the atmosphere and experience of a restaurant that can seat forty people.
An average of 250 meals are served each day, covering both lunch and dinner, six days a week. The patrons come from all walks of life and include homeless people, individuals struggling with addiction, low-income seniors, the unemployed, the working poor, and families with children.
The Miracle of Solidarity
Surprisingly, the organization receives no government funding, corporate sponsorships, or funds from the United Way. Its operations rely entirely on the dedication of volunteers—referred to as the “backbone” of the project—and on generous donations from individuals, families, schools, church groups, and anonymous donors.
Some members and volunteers point out that the organization surprisingly always manages to obtain everything it needs, thanks to its donor base and the social justice aspect tied to its religious nature. Furthermore, the project is deeply rooted in the community, allowing donors to clearly see how their funds are being used.
The Capuchin Friars’ commitment extends beyond providing physical sustenance. Next to the restaurant, at the St. Clare Centre, fourth-year nursing students from Humber College run the “Health For All” clinic during the fall and winter semesters. Together, these two initiatives offer a more holistic approach to caring for those less fortunate.
After celebrating its one-millionth meal in November 2010, St. Francis Table is now preparing to mark an even greater milestone on the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’s death: nearly 1.5 million meals served to those most in need.
