When we gather together to eat, we grow from being strangers to becoming friends. Neighbours in the Chandler Mowat neighbourhood experience this when they sit together at the Gathering at the Table Community Suppers.   

The suppers are organized by a community-oriented church group that holds its services at the Chandler Mowat Community Centre. When the group got to know its neighbours, they realized that many neighbours were dealing with food insecurity.  

“That's how the community suppers began, and we’ve been hosting them once a month over the last seven years. As a community, we eat together and enjoy conversation getting to know one another better” reflects Catherine Gitzel.

In receiving the City's LoveMyHood Matching Grant, the group was able to expand the suppers and offer more options. 

 “The grant allowed us to offer fruit and vegetables. Our numbers are growing too. We started with 100 and at the last one, we were over 200. We just wouldn't be able to continue to feed that many people without the grant, and we never want to turn anyone away,” Catherine said. 

The community suppers bring people together, and work to make everyone at the meals feel included. Many residents live in smaller homes, and the community suppers have allowed them to bring their families together.  

“We want to have hope for the future, and enjoy our neighbourhood together,” Catherine said.