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.

Links: How to Reach Us Outreach Projects at The Working Centre

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Showers and laundry facilities
   St. John’s Kitchen provides free access to showering and laundry facilities for the homeless and those at risk.
5. 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.
6. 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.