OUT OF THE COLD AT ST. ANDREW’S

 

“The people of St. Andrew’s are called by God to serve in faith, hope and love in the heart of Toronto”. As one way to live out that mission statement, over twenty-five years ago, St. Andrew’s Church began to open its doors for people on the streets of Toronto, offering a place for them to come in out of the cold and have a good meal. Sadly, there are more people than ever responding to our invitation but St. Andrew’s continues to be a place where they find a good meal and some friends who care.

We have been offering community breakfasts year round on Tuesday mornings. From November until April, we have been serving supper on Monday nights. In recent years we have often welcomed OVER THREE HUNDRED guests on some evenings. Our chef works with a large team of volunteers to prepare delicious meals. Our mandate from the beginning is to serve meals that we would be proud to serve our family and friends.

In addition to serving wonderful meals, guests are welcome in our Boutique where they can choose new and gently used clothing as well as toiletry items. All of these items are donated. We now work in partnership with Brands for Canada and the Bargains Group.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR OUT OF THE COLD PROGRAMMES A SHORT VIDEO IS NOW AVAILABLE HERE:

 

THE MONDAY NIGHT SUPPER has resumed and guests may arrive for 4:00 p.m. when the Out of the Cold Boutique will also be available.  The Sanctuary doors will be open so that guests may wait inside.

 

PLEASE NOTE – THE LAST SUPPER FOR THIS SESSION WILL BE MONDAY, APRIL 3rd

 

THE TUESDAY MORNING BREAKFAST:

We will continue to offer a take away breakfast on Tuesday mornings.   Guests receive a sandwich, fruit, snacks and a muffin in addition to our usual eggs, blueberry porridge, juice, yogurt and coffee/tea.  We are also providing hot chocolate and on some mornings a fruit and yogurt granola parfait. Between 75 and 85 guests are served at each breakfast.   We begin serving at 7am at the Simcoe Street entrance.
NEEDEDPlastic Shopping Bags Please drop off any excess plastic shopping bags at the church during regular work hours or please call 416-593-5600 if you need them picked up.  OOTC uses over 80 bags on a rainy breakfast morning and the Boutique uses them as well.

Volunteer with Out of the Cold at St. Andrew’s

Our Out of the Cold Monday night suppers has returned while our Tuesday Community Breakfast continues on Tuesday mornings.  The Out of the Cold Boutique is open during both breakfast and supper.

If you wish to volunteer with us in any part of the program you must register HERE

This applies whether you are a new or a returning volunteer.

We look forward to working with another wonderful group of volunteers this year who want to make a difference in the heart of Toronto.

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Out of the Cold Boutique 

The Out of the Cold Boutique is open on Mondays from 4:00 to 7:00 pm in conjunction with the Out of the Cold Supper until March 27th. The Boutique continues to serve our guests from 7:00 to 8:30 am on Tuesday mornings during the Community breakfast year-round.  We anticipate it will be a busy Spring, Summer and Fall for the Boutique!

With Spring approaching, our guests’ needs are changing.

The Boutique’s Top 5 Urgent Needs                                                                           

  • Men’s Jeans, Sweat Pants and Belts – all sizes (we don’t have any!)
  • Men’s and Women’s’ Underwear (must be new) M, L, XL, 2XL
  • Men’s and Women’s running shoes and hiking boots all sizes
  • Men’s spring coats size M, L, XL
  • Sheets(flat), Blankets and Sleeping bags (all must be washed/drycleaned)

We are also in need of:

  • Men’s and Women’s Light Sweaters, Hoodies and Long-Sleeved Tees (especially L and XL sizes) – our inventory is very low
  • Small, medium and large plastic cloth bags along with knapsacks & gym bags
  • Small toiletry items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and shampoo
  • Umbrellas and Dollar Store ponchos are always appreciated

As always, we ask that all used clothing be laundered or dry cleaned (and without stains) before donation.

In addition, the Boutique also accepts monetary donations.  These should be clearly identified as being donations for the Boutique.

Donations may be dropped off at St. Andrew’s from 9am to 5pm, Tuesday through Friday.