Looking for the helpers in Sherbrooke

St Patrick’s Church provides Sunday meals for the needy

The last winds of winter always cut the hardest and leave a chill that seems impossible to shake off. And combined with so much conflict and uncertainty in the world these days, February, aside from a mid-month chocolate bump, basically just feels like a depressing waiting room for spring.

But as Fred Rogers famously said, during dark times, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

So, look to St Patrick’s Catholic Church on Gordon Street Sunday afternoons; not for the mass, but for the volunteers preparing meals for anyone in need in the area.

The Record first learned of this initiative through a Crier placed in the paper around Christmastime advertising a fundraising concert. And a little caption in the corner of the poster said, “Why: to feed the needy. We feed between 70 and 90 people every Sunday. We are the only place open in Sherbrooke on Sundays.”

According to St Patrick’s parishioner Albert Macdonald, who sits on the committee organizing the weekly meals, the initiative started in December of 2022.

“Our priest (Father Andrew Esua Forka) found out there were no meals for people on the street in Sherbrooke on Sundays,” Macdonald explained, “So he said OK, we’re going to try this.”

St Patrick’s has a small kitchen in the basement with a stove, previously used for the occasional meal for parishioners.

Thanks to support from the Bishops Council and Caritas Estrie, Macdonald said the space got some equipment upgrades and is now used every Sunday.

“In the beginning, we got donations from parishioners to get it going,” he said. The parish soon formed a committee and made requests to support organizations in the Sherbrooke area.

“From that, things started to build.”

In addition to food donated or supplied from parishioners, Macdonald said people often come from out of nowhere to help.

The congregation happens to include a chef who initially offered to make the meals with helpers. Another job (unrelated to the food industry) pulled the chef away around Easter last year, But Macdonald said he came back recently and is helping regularly with meal prep again.

Caring is contagious, Macdonald explained.

Parish members from other congregations in Sherbrooke often lend a hand. Sometimes one group will donate soup, another will provide the main meal, another one does dessert.

Some people volunteer, some give money.

Macdonald said the church feeds around 50 people every Sunday.

“We record each week,” he said, “The highest was 94 one week.”

The need is usually greater at the end of the month.

“We plan for at least 70,” Macdonald said.

“Sometimes we have to react and create something as food runs out.”

There is a core group of parishioners who help most Sundays, but other parishes volunteer also.

“At the end of November, a group from separate parish came and prepared the whole meal.”

St Patrick’s parish includes members from Filipino and Mexican communities, who will often cook a meal and also provide entertainment.

Macdonald said it takes about 11 people to run the weekly meal.

Some come to set up, others are servers, some are preparing food offsite that arrives earlier or the day before.

Mealtime runs from 5-7 p.m. Sunday evenings.

“Usually by 6:30 everyone’s finished,” Macdonald said.

Volunteers arrive between 3-4 for the main meal, but sometimes, especially when it is cold, they will open the doors as early as 3 p.m. “We let them in, we’ve already started the coffee by that time.”

The entirely volunteer-run initiative is a well-oiled machine, Macdonald explained, saying meals and helpers are scheduled a month in advance.

“It’s a mixture of people from the parish, or people interested in helping,” he said, adding there have been students from Bishop’s and the University of Sherbrooke who have volunteered.

“Our priest (Father Andrew Esua Forka) found out there were no meals for people on the street in Sherbrooke on Sundays,” Macdonald explained, “So he said OK, we’re going to

try this.”

Volunteers arrive between

3-4 for the main meal, but sometimes, especially when it is cold, they will open the doors as early as 3 p.m. “We let them in, we’ve already started the

coffee by that time.” “A few times, there have even been people on the street with experience from restaurants, some as cooks, servers. They came upon hard times, but are skilled, and they help to

serve the meals.”

“A few times, there have even been people on the street with experience from restaurants, some as cooks, servers. They came upon hard times, but are skilled, and they help to serve the meals.”

A lot of regulars come weekly for food, Macdonald went on. “Mostly single men, some single women, and a few families at different periods of time.”

According to Macdonald, organizers try to involve the beneficiaries as much as possible, and doing so has given them a sense of ownership.

“One time I arrived, and someone who came to get food usually, they arrived with a bucket of grapes that a neighbour had growing on her fence,” Macdonald said.

Another beneficiary

will

sometimes bring vegetables, crackers, chips, or little snacks for people waiting for the meal.

Macdonald added that when they can, some beneficiaries will leave some money or other useful donations.

“The people receiving benefits, if they get involved, they show ownership, take care of the place too…they feel more a part of it, not just getting something,” he said.

After a meal once, as volunteers were clearing plates and cleaning up one beneficiary told Macdonald, “Don’t worry, you don’t have to ask, I’ll pick up and others will help.”

Within minutes everyone who had eaten was collecting the dishes and table clothes and helping with the cleaning.

The weekly event is about more than food now, Macdonald said.

“Some people have started donating clothing,” he explained. There were around eight tables full of clothing, he commented, and there is a woman who knits and donates her work.

“We’ve started to get donations from stores as well,” the volunteer added. “Sometimes for bread, leftover from bakeries. One in particular delivers to us regularly.”

“We have three small freezers, so we are limited as to what can take in the freezers,” Macdonald said, grateful for the donations.

Father Andrew Esua Forka is very young and very active, Macdonald said.

He came to St Patrick’s two years ago. “When Father Doyon passed away, he came in may of 2022. Historically, Doyon always helping as much as he could,” Macdonald said, “this priest is pretty much the same.”