NewmarketToday continues its annual tradition of marking the giving season by celebrating Newmarket's Community Angels — the people whose kindness, compassion and community spirit help make our town one of the best to live in the country.
David Carriere is a regular at community meals throughout Newmarket but he said it's not just the food that keeps him coming back, it's the people.
“They’re warm, they’re happy. The people here are really happy. We come for the meals, we socialize and we talk and sometimes we see them at other meals and say hello. We make friendships,” he said.
He said they have created a community of people, like himself, who may feel like they don't fit in elsewhere in town.
The meals also save him at least $100 on groceries every week.
"I come here and it saves me an expense. It allows me to do things in the community,” he said.
Carriere was at The Annex Cafe, a ministry by Christian Baptist Church on Main Street. Every Wednesday since July, volunteers from the church have been barbecuing and serving up burgers and hotdogs, as well as hot coffee, to anyone in need of a meal.
“It became apparent very quickly when I was here that there’s a whole lot of need on Main Street, a whole lot of hungry people,” said Andrew Hamilton, pastor at the church.
He said the church felt called to serve the community through food and they started by created a pantry self serve on their porch for people to come and take what they need. Then the church added takeout windows to serve a light breakfast on Wednesdays, which expanded to lunch this summer.
At the peak, Hamilton said they were serving more than 100 people.
Almost every day of the week there is a free meal somewhere in Newmarket for people who need it. On Monday nights, it is the Community Bread program at St. John Chrysostom. On Tuesday nights, there is the LAMP supper program at Trinity United Church, the barbecue on Wednesdays, Inn From the Cold's community meal on Fridays, Crossland Church's community meal every Saturday, and a community meal at Valley View Alliance Church every Sunday.
Valley View Alliance Church prepares about 100 meals every week, according to Pastor Paul Karsgaard. A different team of volunteers is scheduled each week and he is on one of those teams.
"It's busy at first, in the earlier afternoon preparing things and getting everything ready," he said. "Then you usually have time to sit with the guests and just talk with them. I've gotten to know some of them and see them regularly."
He said this ministry is an opportunity to show people God's love while helping meet their immediate needs, like food.
"It feels good to be able to be part of a team that that is doing something that impacts the lives of people who really need it," he said.
Here are all the free community meals that take place in Newmarket throughout the week, all thanks to volunteers who care about the people in their community:
- Sundays: Valley View Alliance Church hosts a community dinner every Sunday of the year between 4 and 5:30 p.m. at 800 Davis Dr. in Newmarket.
- Mondays: St. John Chrysostom Catholic Church serves a free hot meal to anyone who needs it out of their parish centre at 432 Ontario St. The program is called Community Bread and runs from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Monday.
- Tuesdays: Trinity United Church hosts its Lunch At My Place (LAMP) Supper Program on Tuesdays at the church, which is located at 461 Park Ave. It serves beverages at 4 p.m. and a hot meal from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
- Wednesdays: The Annex Cafe at Christian Baptist Church runs every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests can enjoy a hotdog or burger out on the church lawn. There is also coffee and light breakfast foods.
- Fridays: Inn From The Cold's community meal takes place weekly on Fridays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the community hall of their Penrose Street location. Different groups of volunteers sign up each week, whether they are corporations, religious groups, families, or friends.
- Saturdays: Crosslands Church at 47 Millard Ave. West hosts a free dinner every Saturday starting at 4:30 p.m.
