SideWalk Community Center at All Saints' Anglican Church plays a valuable role in the Community Food Assistance Network in Waterloo Region.
By Melissa Bender (The Food Bank of Waterloo)
EVERY WEDNESDAY from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., community members living within the neighbourhood boundary and in need of food can pick up a hamper at All Saints’ Anglican Church in Waterloo. The program, run through the church’s SideWalk Community Centre, receives fresh, frozen, and non-perishable food from The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
“We have a volunteer waiting at the gym door, where the food is set out, who walks alongside the guest and answers any questions about products,” explains Jane Bender, one of the volunteer coordinators of the food hamper program.
“Products are arranged in various categories, and once guests move through the non-perishable section, they pick up fresh produce before heading to the frozen food counter.”
“We organize everything as if it were a grocery store, ensuring it’s dignified and presentable for our guests,” adds Ron Bender, who also helps coordinate the program.
Rice, pasta, pasta sauce, and halal food are among the most-requested items at the program. Each week, volunteers from the church and community serve around 40 households, building meaningful connections with everyone who accesses the program.
“We make sure we’re on the same side of the table as them, so there’s no barrier between us,” says Marty Levesque, the lead pastor at All Saints’ Anglican Church. “They are our guests. We walk with them and get to know all their names.”
In addition to food, people can also access non-food items like toilet paper, Kleenex, diapers, and period products once a month.
“Toothpaste and toothbrushes are always the first to go,” notes Rachel Prichard, the volunteer coordinator of the program’s non-food section.
Marty says that the food hamper program has reshaped the church’s approach to helping those in need.
“It’s allowed us to make a structural shift within our organization—from a charity model to a solidarity model,” he explains. “Instead of me standing at the front of the church collecting for the food bank, now volunteers come together here, walking alongside people. We have conversations and build relationships with them. This mutual transformation helps us see one another, and we grow as Christians and as people. It’s a deeper connection where we no longer view people accessing The Food Bank as ‘other;’ we see them as our neighbours.”
Marty adds that while he’s glad they can support people in need, he wishes that this type of assistance wasn’t needed in the first place.
“If the program grows, we’re going in the wrong direction,” he says. “The goal, ultimately, is for food banks to no longer be needed. That’s the dream.”
Though the long-term vision remains a world without food banks, the team is still grateful for the immediate difference they’re able to make for those struggling to afford to put food on the table.
“Being able to provide food to so many people… having them come in and leave with something is really good,” Rachel says.
“I’m thankful that we’re meeting a need that’s so prevalent in our community and that we can make one, two, or even three meals easier for a family,” Jane agrees.
All Saints’ Anglican Church is one of 54 organizations in the Community Food Assistance Network. Visit allsaintswaterloo.ca to learn more. If you’d like to help The Food Bank support Network partners like All Saints’ Anglican Church, visit our Get Involved section on our website to learn more about donating food, funds, or time.
Melissa Bender is Communications Specialist at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
(Text reprinted, courtesy of The Food Bank of Waterloo. Originally posted on https://www.thefoodbank.ca/2025/01/agency-spotlight-all-saints-anglican-church/, January 14, 2025)