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The Cathedral Café:  URGENT:  VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!

    Wendy Leigh-Bell and I are much more than choir buddies.  We both volunteer at the Cathedral Café at Christ Church Cathedral.  It was set up to welcome and help individuals in our community who are ‘homeless’, and precariously housed.

The most important element of the drop-in centre are the volunteers.  We greet our guests, make and serve the tea and coffee and just chat with people; we care.  Volunteers also help with the preparations of meals, wash dishes and clean up. To learn more check out the web reference below. 

If you are interested, please contact Kerry Lubrick at the address below.  You will be given an application, orientation and a visit. kerryllubrick@gmail.com or call 905-679-2818.

Cathedral Café Volunteer Position Description.

More information from Gillian Webster:

   Starting last December Christ Church Cathedral, in cooperation with St. Matthew’s House, has hosted this drop-in centre/respite café.  It operates between 9:00 and 4:00 Monday through to Saturday and is directed at those, but also served are individuals who are lonely, and/or financially challenged.  Tea, coffee and snacks are provided plus a continental breakfast and a lunch.

     It was expanded from a previous ministry totally run by volunteers that the cathedral initiated. Now St. Matthew’s House adds paid social work staff to the resources available for the guests many of whom face difficult challenges navigating bureaucracies necessary to, e.g., get or replace OHIP cards, receive mail, apply for housing, and get medical assistance.

     There are three shifts for volunteers in each day that the café is open.  New people are always welcome; this is especially true now the summer has come, and many volunteers have other commitments. 

     It is hard to imagine living outside in the extreme heat and rain that this summer has so far brought us.  There is much courage and resourcefulness out there along with the anxiety and stress.