Poverty is on the increase. Working poor is becoming an ever increasing reality in the Victoria landscape. Single moms that might be able to afford a roof over their kids heads, can't afford food. BC has the lowest minimum working wage in all of Canada. Social programs are surgically amputated by the Provincial government, and it's victims are left to fend for themselves.
A place that has become an open table, of grace, hospitality and love is the Rainbow Kitchen over in Vic West, the corner of Henry and Catherine Streets; in St. Saviors a 118 year old Anglican Church. The volunteers come from a diversity of faith backgrounds; Anglicans, Lutherans, Salvation Army, Buddhists, atheists, agnostics, mystics, seekers. Besides the smell of great food, and the homeless will tell you the RK serves the best lunches anywhere...there is a fragrance of love the permeates everyone and everything.
Most days there is a shortage of volunteers, especially where I work on Mondays in the " dish pit." I think almost everyone can remember a first job working in the dish pit of some restaurant. There's no glamor, and no glory...just cleaning up everyone else's mess. You can do the math and pretty much figure it out, the number of pots and pans, dinner plates, dessert plates, glasses, and coffee cups for feeding 120-150.
Anyways, we are short in the dish pit especially between 1:00pm and 2:30pm...we're desperate. How desperate...I'll tell you. The last few weeks there has been a retired priest, not much older than myself. She wears an apron, I don't know why. She says grace, we all used to take turns, but now we have a professional. So I guess much like the rubber stamp of the Canadian Standards Approval these prayers pass, are sanctified good. Anyways we were short and desperate, so I gently tapped her on the shoulder and said, " Jesus washed the feet of those he loved, and served...would you mind washing a few dishes."
You can contact the Rainbow Kitchen @ 250-384-8773 and ask for Walter, or you can send me an e-mail at ( labmanster at gmail dot com ). Like I say if you can help out for an hour and half on any day, they would love to have you.
i'll actually be in Victoria in a couple weeks and hope to meet Al for coffee at some time but i was also looking for a way to connect with you too. i realize you don't know me very much, if at all, but i've been following your blog for a while now. i have no idea how i'll fit something like this into my schedule but i'm hopeful.
i'll try to get in touch with you about this sort of thing.
Posted by: shallowfrozenwater | March 16, 2010 at 09:42 AM
Hey that would me great. I usually have coffee with Al every Wednesday, and also see him at CARTS on Friday evenings. I'm usually free most afternoons, so yes keep in touch...we will connect.
Posted by: ron cole | March 16, 2010 at 09:48 AM