Last week, St. George’s Anglican Church in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario celebrated 30 years of serving breakfast every single day. The Community Breakfast Program has provided not just a meal, but dignity, consistency, and care to the community for 11,000 consecutive days.

Since its inception, the Community Breakfast Program at St. George’s Anglican Church has served nearly a million meals to people in need. The program provides about 32,000 breakfasts each year at its downtown St. Catharines location, supported by around 180 dedicated volunteers.

Volunteers arrive early each morning to prepare simple meals like oatmeal, toast, cereal, sandwiches, juice, coffee, and tea. The program serves everyone, including the unhoused and those facing housing insecurity or trying to stretch limited food budgets. On an average day, about 89 people attend the breakfast, though on busy days, as many as 130 guests have come for a warm meal and friendly conversation.

The program has continued through economic challenges and even the World Health Organization-declared COVID-19 pandemic. Longtime supporters have helped keep the program going for decades, ensuring that thousands of people can start their day with a warm meal.

St. George’s Anglican Church’s daily breakfast program is supported by food and financial donations from the church’s congregation and the wider St. Catharines community. The program, running seven days a week, is supported by local partners such as Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold, Start Me Up Niagara, and The Bridge Niagara.

Source:  Mike Balsom, ThoroldToday