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The Voice of North Grenville
Vol. 4, No 41
October 12, 2016
Friendship and Thanksgiving
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The kitchen volunteers that keep the friendship in Friendship Lunch
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by Marguerite Boyer Every week at Leslie Hall in Kemptville a Friendship Lunch takes place, an occasion for food, fellowship and good company. Each Friday, people can drop by and be part of an event that has been going on, in its current format, for eleven years, as five local churches join together taking turns to organise the food, as volunteers do the cooking, serving, clearing and cleaning. Last week was a special Thanksgiving Friendship Lunch, and around eighty people enjoyed a full turkey dinner and each other’s company. This kind of event needs to be celebrated in our
community: a great example of people coming together, sharing and providing a meal at no cost to whoever wishes to attend. Diners can pay if, and what, they wish. The Friendship Lunch menu alternates each week between a soup and sandwich lunch, and a hot meal. There’s also dessert, tea, coffee and juice. The Lunch takes place from October through May on Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m in Leslie Hall next to St James Church on Clothier Street in Kemptville. There are usually around 30 or 40 people attending the lunch, but over 80 were served at the Thanksgiving event. The weekly meal began at St. James Anglican Church as the Hospitality
Kitchen, but it was running out of steam, a shortage of volunteers and the burden of carrying the weekly act i v i t y al o n e m e a n t the Hospitality Kitchen was in danger of closing down. Then along came Stephanie Gilmer, the Executive Director at World Hope Canada, but then the Director of Community Services with the Salvation Army in Kemptville. Stephanie stepped in and contacted other Christians in town, and the Friendship Lunch arose from the alliance. Today, the lunch is cosponsored by the Salvation Army, Holy Cross Catholic Church, the Pentecostal Church, St. John’s United Church, as well as the original organisers, St. James Anglican Church.
The aim of the Friendship Luncheon Ministry is to reach out to the whole Community of North Grenville by providing a nourishing meal and Christian fellowship. This outreach provides a friendly, caring haven where people from diverse age groups, belief systems and circumstances feel comfortable and share in friendly association. There is no charge for the meal although donations a r e a p p r e c ia t e d . T h e Thanksgiving meal was organised by Holy Cross Catholic Church, and next week’s meal will be a soup and sandwich one, sponsored by the Salvation Army. All are welcome to come and enjoy food and fellowship!