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St. John's Kitchen is a thriving community of hundreds of people who gather in a
spirit of cooperation and mutual support to produce and share a daily meal, to
connect with a range of community resources, and to explore inclusion together and
as part of the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo.
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St. John's Kitchen, located at 97 Victoria Street North in downtown Kitchener, is
a gathering place within a neighbourhood, serving up to 300 meals each day. The space
hosts many people from all walks of life who work cooperatively in the true sense of
a direct democracy, building trust, respect and friendships along the journey.
With a limited staff, the Kitchen operates with the work of approximately 100 volunteers,
80% of whom are also patrons. We make use of food that would have been otherwise wasted.
Most of the work of St. John's - the preparing of meals, the sharing of friendships, and
the distribution of food builds on people looking after each other, contributing what
they can and being actively involved in productive work.
Seven Main Services of St. John's Kitchen
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Drop-in from 8:00am - 2:00pm
St. John's Kitchen is a drop-in centre used by over 100 people before
the lunch-time meal each day.
Breakfast of foods such as bread, peanut butter, jam, cheese, muffins, donuts,
bagels and coffee is available each day.
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Hot Lunch
A main hot lunch meal serves up to 300 people five days a week. These
meals consist of donated and surplus food that is turned into salads, soups,
vegetable and vegetarian dishes, meat dishes, sandwiches, desserts and coffee.
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Marketplace
A marketplace with food items for people to take home to prepare. This
food comes through the Foodbank of Waterloo Region, Second Harvest
program. We bring food in and prepare it for distribution.
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Showers and laundry facilities
St. John’s Kitchen provides free access to showering and laundry facilities for the homeless and
those at risk.
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Outreach Projects
St. John’s Kitchen serves as the base for an extensive network of Outreach
activities and resources. These activities include
Downtown Street Outreach,
Psychiatric Outreach Project, At-Home Outreach, Streets to Housing Stability,
Integrated Supportive Housing, Hospitality House, and the
Housing Desk. As well, a number of other community
organizations integrate their work with the meal and drop-in at St. John’s Kitchen.
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Job Café
This project provides people with part-time, casual work opportunities. Job Café is an
essential first link to assist individuals with hundreds of work opportunities.
Job Café provides income enhancement and a way to participate in a broader network
of community involvement.
How to Reach Us
For more information about St. John's Kitchen or to volunteer, contact Gretchen.
Phone: 519-745-8928
E-mail: gretchenj@theworkingcentre.org
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Where and When We Are
St. John's Kitchen is located at 97 Victoria Street North, second floor.
It is open from 8:00am to 2:00pm, Monday to Friday.
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