It takes an army of volunteers to make a meal

President Paula D’Orazio and Vice President Bryan Smith from the STICH Supper Club, show off some of the fresh produce that is available to take home, during the Thursday evening meal served at the Trinity United Church in Ingersoll. (Stuart Blower)

Stuart Blower, Echo Correspondent

Bryan Smith, vice president of STICH (Stronger Together Ingersoll Community Harvest), explains how the supper club works in the community.

“Men, women, families, seniors, people of all ages and economic circumstance are invited. First timers are greeted at the door and are shown around, everything is explained. There are no questions, we do not ask about their circumstances. We consider them our guests”.

There are approximately 250 families or individuals who used STICH in Ingersoll, and although the majority of them are affected in some way by food insecurity, the sense of belonging and social involvement also play an important part of the individual’s health and well being.

“We are 100 per cent volunteer driven. We rely heavily on our volunteers, working at various jobs all week long, to make the single-evening supper a success. Starting as early as Monday, volunteers are collecting surplus foods, fresh produce, shelf and packaged items, we think our guests will want,” explains Smith.

He points out that volunteers can now use a commercial van, donated by Farm Credit Canada which can accommodate larger bulk packaging, such as pallets of frozen items, from Harvest Hands or donations from Giant Tiger and Dot Foods, making the transport logistics much easier.

Smith is adamant when he notes “Our goal is to locate more sources of food. We know there is excess food out there, that is edible, but going into dumpsters, land fill and plowed into fields.”

Thursday is the big day everything comes together. The kitchen group under the leadership of chief cook Jo-Ann Claessens starts at 10 a.m., cooking and prepping.

“My concern is the supper meal, I start planning a week in advance. We have donors who provide foods, proteins and even financial aid that allows us to make purchases, either retail or wholesale, in order to supplement that planned meal. We can also add some of the collected produce, for additional variety,” she adds.

Some of the group have already set up tables, washed dishes and even wrapped the cutlery in napkins. By 3:30 the desserts are on the table and boxes of collected produce are pulled out of the fridges and stacked on display.

Volunteers arrive with soups and pizzas to round out the planned meal options. The menu is always posted ahead of time on Facebook and the website where local contributors are given recognition for their donations, but some produce items rely on seasonal surplus or overstocking, that can change every week.

Close to 4 p.m., the Thursday afternoon line up for the STICH once a week supper meal has already started to form. The parking lot entrance to the church basement will provide a temporary relief, not only from the summer heat, but also from the constant worry about food insecurity and the struggle to make ends meet or keep a roof over your head.

The “guests” all seem to know each other. An older gentleman comes up to me and confuses me with an old friend from years ago. I explain I am here to write a story about STICH. I assure him and anyone else I chat with, their names will not be used.

As I stand close to the church doors, a young woman pushing a baby carriage and herding four other children, approaches and stands behind me in line. I ask her. What does STICH mean to you?

She takes a breath, pauses for a second or two and then shares with me.

“It is a breath of fresh air. I am a single mom that stays home to look after five kids. It can be very difficult managing everything and finding enough at the end of the week. I have to walk everywhere and bring the children with me. Sometimes the children can be a bit much to handle, but the volunteers here are wonderful and they come and help me with holding the baby. This meal is a welcome break for us.”

I sit down on the pavement next to a man, a backpack and a larger bag resting next to him. He tells me that the STICH volunteers are wonderful and welcoming, the people are friendly and there are no questions.

I ask him if he will be picking up some of the produce available, to take home.

“It’s difficult”, he answers, “I live in a tent”.

Inside the church basement, garden produce is stacked on the corner tables and the stage is covered with dry and packaged goods and plenty of bread and buns. You simply line up and take what you need.

Standing in front of the kale, an elderly woman starts up a conversation with me and explains, she is picking up vegetables, including orange tomatoes for a neighbour who can not get around very well.

“I have to get the orange ones”, she says. “They are low acid and won’t bother her stomach.”

She goes on to explain that she also picks up for her daughter who can’t be here tonight, because she has to work.

”After paying her rent, my daughter has about $40 a week to spend on herself and her young child,” she adds, as she also fills a bag to take home for them.

One of the volunteers introduces me to a recent arrival who lives alone, and admits that although the food is welcome, her biggest need is meeting and talking to people.

”I was really nervous the first time I came here, but everyone was so friendly, especially the volunteers, they showed me around and made me feel very comfortable. I didn’t know anyone. As I was walking by a table, a woman invited me to sit at her table. Since then, we are good friends and I look forward to meeting her every Thursday. I really enjoy talking to people and being able to visit,” she says.

As she makes her way to the busy produce corner. I follow her and with my newly acquired insight, I encourage her to pick up the orange low acid tomatoes as I convince her she needs to try the container of healthy pea sprouts, to include in her salads.

While I move around the tables, an older gentleman offers his explanation.

“This is just wonderful. I am retired and can get by on my own, but I enjoy the company and conversation as we share a meal. I look forward to the feeling of belonging this place offers.”

I wander past the mom and her five kids and get an appreciative thumbs up from the young ones enjoying a desert of purple glazed doughnuts, they were able to select themselves.

Responding to my question abut financing, Bryan responds.

“STICH does not receive any financial help from the town of Ingersoll or Trinity church. Although we are considered friends of the church, we rent the kitchen and basement space and are a secular organization.”

The organization receives financial donations from Unifor Local 88, which has always been involved, as well as monthly donations, from other charitable groups in Ingersoll. STICH has the financial resources to do what they need, at the present, but they do not amass a large contingency fund.

“Like many people, we have a concern about rising food prices. To offset some of those costs Cargill offers us chicken once a month that helps to buffer some of those higher prices,” adds Smith.

Volunteers are unanimous in their praise of how STICH operates, by providing a friendly atmosphere to all guests and volunteers and not only meeting the need for well balanced adequate meals but also providing volunteers a way to give back to the community by developing a powerful social presence where you can make new friends and develop a sense of belonging.

STICH also allows for certification and training of volunteers in certain areas of food preparation. And welcomes high school students who want to volunteer as part of their community hours requirements.

Whether you are a teen, an adult, a senior, or a parent, STICH builds intergenerational relationships and helps bring your community together.