Volunteers - Toronto
Come out and join the team! The program is always in need of volunteers. For more information contact the volunteer coordinator for the meal program:
- Wednesday Dinner at 5 p.m.
Volunteer Coordinator, Alison Rose, aer@inigofilms.com - Thursday Breakfast at 6:45 a.m.
Volunteer Coordinator, Jay Brecher, jay.brecher@gmail.com - Friday Dinner at 5 p.m.
Volunteer Coordinator, Esther Facchini, efacchini@teplitskycolson.com - Sunday Breakfast at 10 a.m.
Volunteer Coordinator, David Bronskill, dbronskill@goodmans.ca
New! Friday Dinner
A new Friday meal service was launched on Friday, June 12, 2009. Meals will be served from 5 to 6 pm each Friday in the Law Society’s cafeteria with a takeaway meal for the following day.
Come out and volunteer. For more information contact efacchini@teplitskycolson.com
Wednesday Dinner
While the Toronto program began with breakfasts back in 1998, the Wednesday night dinner is one of the busiest meals of the week at Osgoode Hall. Up to 350 meals are served from 5 – 7 p.m. Volunteers arrive early to prepare Osgoode Hall cafeteria and stay late to clean up after the meal.
This tight-knit group includes law students, lawyers, high school students, City of Toronto employees as well as a cross representation of Toronto's legal community.
Volunteer Spotlight - Food and fellowship served up Wednesday night
Each Wednesday night, the Osgoode Hall cafeteria buzzes with high energy. The frenetic activity comes from judges, lawyers and law students and a cross-section of other concerned community residents. Together, they are responsible for organizing one of Toronto’s largest meal services for community residents in need.
Orchestrating behind the scenes is dinner coordinator Alison Rose, one of the longest serving volunteers of the Lawyers Feed the Hungry Program. With a core group of colleagues, Alison corrals the enthusiasm of new recruits as hot soup, a main course and dessert are served for the large crowd each week.
When she’s also not juggling pre and post-dinner tasks, Alison is an award winning Canadian documentary filmmaker and magazine writer.
On her 11-year commitment to the program, Alison says, “I grew up in small towns where just about everyone volunteers. This program is how I stay in touch with my community. It’s an important part of my life.”
Her weekly rewards are the smiles and hearing the hubbub of guest and volunteer conversations. The best moments of all, she says, are when “guests tell us they’ve found housing and they're happy about it, or when someone tells us they’ve broken an addiction.”
Get involved with this committed team by contacting Alison at aer@inigofilms.com.
Thursday Breakfast and Take-Out
This weekday breakfast was the wellspring effort of the Toronto Lawyers Feed the Hungry Program in 1998.
Today, a small but mighty group of volunteers cook, prepare and serve a hot and hearty breakfast for 80-120 people beginning at 6:45 a.m.
Our most steadfast volunteers, come well before the break of dawn to heat ovens, get coffee going and whip eggs. This group has even created their own online volunteer schedule to ensure service for program guests goes without a hitch.
Volunteer Spotlight - Eclectic mix of volunteers run “Breakfast Club” like clockwork
The self-described “unofficial coordinator” for Toronto’s Thursday morning breakfast is LexisNexis Canada Product Development Editor Jay Brecher.
Someone who would rather eschew the limelight, Jay notes that he assumed the weekday coordinating role because he is one of the longest serving Thursday morning volunteers, with a consistent attendance record.
“This is a commitment I can make long-term,” he says. “It’s a worthwhile cause affiliated with the legal profession. It’s rewarding in so many ways.”
The Thursday morning team, who’ve dubbed themselves “the Breakfast Club”, represent an interesting mix of people from different career backgrounds. Volunteers serve up hot eggs, sausages, potatoes, hot coffee and orange juice, plus prepare and distribute bag lunches for guests.
To join this dedicated group, contact jay.brecher@gmail.com
Sunday Breakfast and Take-Out
Our Sunday breakfast volunteers have created a community meal service all of their own. Each week, this dedicated group come together from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. for “a family style” sit down community meal for up to 400 people.
This team spends time greeting guests at the door, finding a warm spot for seniors who arrive early and offering regular guests advice when they need it most.
Volunteer Spotlight - Family spirit shines through at “Sunday brunch”
Fresh out of law school in 2000, Goodman’s lawyer David Bronskill discovered community service work is rewarding and a good time. So much so that he recruited his mom Pat and dad Mike to join him in volunteering for the Sunday Lawyers Feed the Hungry breakfast. The trio are still at it today with David in the lead as the meal coordinator.
The Sunday morning team is a vibrant mix of Toronto residents who believe strongly in lending a helping hand in a supportive, friendly environment.
“Sunday morning is something we all look forward to.” Making his way in the downtown core through the workweek, David sees and greets many guests on the street. Other volunteers do that and more.
“As a result of being involved in the breakfast for many years, a sense of trust is built,” he notes. “The relationship between the guests and volunteers is one like family.”
You too can make an impact. For more information, contact David at dbronskill@goodmans.ca