Editor:
Who would have ever thought a pot of soup served on a rainy, wet Saturday in January of 1983 would be the start of a society that has now served and finished 38 years?
With the exception of the interruption due the COVID-19 pandemic from March to July of this year, in August we were granted the status of “essential service” allowing us to continue and we noticed how happy our friends and customers were, when they saw us back!
For this reason, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the many people who have helped and contributed in helping us to serve the many needy people of the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver.
Every Saturday just before 10 a.m. the white truck of the Food on the Corner Society leaves the parking lot behind Thrifty’s and Joe’s Vegetable Market loaded with goods provided by the residents of Ladner and Tsawwassen for its weekly mission, serving the folks in this most impoverished area.
In all these many years this Ministry has never failed even one Saturday! I am so thankful for the many helpers who week-by-week make this important ‘mission possible.’
Whether the soup or sandwich makers, the folks that week-by-week serve and drive downtown, all contribute on a totally voluntary basis. Some of our volunteers have been involved for all those 38 years. Indeed, a big “Thank You” to all!
The activity at our Society starts early in the week by some of our volunteers who collect the food items and then store them. The truck is loaded early Friday morning by a band of faithful people and then on Saturday morning’s, soup, sandwiches and urns of coffee are taken downtown, tables set up and lunch is served at 222 Main Street by our volunteers, many of them local families.
Who are some of our volunteers? You might be surprised to find out we have had school classes making sandwiches, older folks in seniors’ homes also contribute making delicious sandwiches, some of the ladies contribute by knitting items for the cold winter months. All ages are involved with even the young children chopping vegetables for the soup and grandfathers making sandwiches.
And we have often been told that our soup and coffee are absolutely the best in the area!
The Food on the Corner Truck has participated annually in the Ladner Mayday Parade, as well as the Sun Festival in Tsawwassen in August, and we have done so for many years.
We are a non-profit organization. Again, my thanks to all our volunteers! If you would like to get involved you can check us out at foodonthecorner.ca and send us a note at foodonthecorner@hotmail.com
Hermann Glockl/Founder FCS Food on the Corner Society
