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FAITHLINES
11 September 2025
In this issue:
St. James, Orillia's lunch and breakfast programs!
Visit faithworks.ca for more information
and to view our video library
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The following is from the Report to Synod about the
Loonie Lunch and Sunday Community Breakfast
at St. James, Orillia,
a FaithWorks' ministry partner your donation supports.
| | St. James, Orillia, has always had an active local, national, and international outreach and social justice committee. As a downtown church, parishioners have understood the call to act on the gospel to serve others. | | |
Loonie Lunch
The Loonie Lunch began almost 25 years ago when the ACW of St James learned there were more people living with food insecurity in the Orillia community. The Wednesday lunch started in the church’s very old auditorium and a very basic kitchen located in the basement. In 2006, demand for the program continued and more space was needed. The Loonie Lunch was moved to the auditorium and the blessing of “new” commercial kitchen.
On average, 75 people from all walks of life meet at St James each week to enjoy fellowship, a home-cooked soup, dessert, and the chance to be present in a safe space. While the program continues to be a community meal, many of its people are without housing or sufficient money to buy groceries for the week, or they may just need a place to keep warm in the winter or cool down in the summer.
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Over the course of 2024, on over 45 Wednesdays, a total of 3414 people enjoyed fresh hot soup made by the amazing twenty-seven volunteers in the church kitchen. Volunteers come from our parish, but many are also community members who value this program. We are fortunate that in building community relations, the program is supported with fresh baking from local downtown businesses. A new feature is working with the Sharing Place, the local food bank, who donate frozen takeout dinners for a hundred people every Wednesday. Finally, the program acts as a community hub, and regular visits are made by social agencies to provide assistance, including diabetes care, parental care, and wellness checks.
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Sunday Community Breakfast
Early in 2022, our incumbent learned that one of our companion parishes, St. David’s Anglican-Lutheran, was unable to continue its community breakfast program which it had undertaken for many years but had stopped during the COVID pandemic. Our incumbent met with concerned parishioners at St. James' and St. David’s, who expressed an interest to continue the program.
It was agreed that it made sense for St. James to continue to deliver this breakfast program because it is in the downtown core. Our church members were becoming increasingly aware of our community’s food insecurity, mental health needs, and the lack of similar programming amongst the downtown churches. As a result of these factors, a small group met to develop a regular Sunday community breakfast located at St. James, but would include volunteers from the other Orillia Anglican parishes, St. David’s and St. Athanasius, and from the community.
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Five volunteer teams were created and each team, consisting of 6 people, is assigned a certain week of the month, and that team is then responsible for preparing, cooking, delivering and clean up on that particular Sunday. Every team also has a menu for their assigned week. The whole group encompasses people from several parishes, local business owners, and community volunteers. Shopping for groceries is a responsibility of other volunteers. The local Giant Tiger store weekly contributes milk, butter and bread to the breakfast and other grocery donations are often received from other local businesses.
For breakfast, people number between 60-80 each week and include anyone from the community and some parishioners. The atmosphere is casual and friendly and many are regular attendees. Each week they enjoy a hot breakfast, cold cereal, coffee, tea, and fresh fruit. In addition, a selection of free seasonal clothing and footwear is available every Sunday for anyone in need to take, which is provided by the Pennywise Thrift Store located in St. James.
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FaithWorks Sermon or Presentation
To assist and inspire, you can arrange for a sermon, presentation or visit by representatives of our ministry partners, the Director of Stewardship Development, Peter Misiaszek, or me, by contacting the FaithWorks Speakers Bureau at
fwspeakersbureau@toronto.anglican.ca
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If you wish to highlight your parish's events in support of FaithWorks, please forward the details to faithworks@toronto.anglican.ca
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FaithWorks Videos
The FaithWorks website, faithworks.ca has been updated with new videos to promote FaithWorks and our ministry partners. There are short, medium and long videos to include in your parish's online presence or in-person gatherings. They can be downloaded directly from the website.
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Followers of Jesus, inspired by the Holy Spirit, serve the world God loves!
I acknowledge that my office resides on the territory of sovereign Indigenous Nations, the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat. I acknowledge especially the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Toronto Treaties.
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