Sarnia Community Church Expands its Food Outreach Program

A Salvation Army outreach program in Sarnia has the support of community groups joining the cause to bring healthy meals to vulnerable populations in Lambton County.

Twice a week, The Salvation Army Sarnia Community Church brings its Emergency Disaster Services Community Response Unit vehicle to Veterans Park in Sarnia where volunteers provide meals to individuals who are homeless and local seniors residing nearby. Meals are also distributed in Sarnia at a local motel serving as emergency transitional housing.

“This program provides a meal and the chance for conversation, an opportunity to sit, listen and share and it has become a light in the community. It gives a voice to the voiceless and gives seniors a relationship with people who are homeless,” says Lt Brad Webster, Corps Officer at Sarnia Community Church.

After being asked by the Ontario Provincial Police, Sarnia Community Church drops by every second Friday to the Community Refrigerator at St. Paul’s United Church in the nearby village of Petrolia.

The motto of Community Refrigerator is ‘Take what you need, leave what you can,’ where anyone can come and pick up anything that is available, including food or household items, discreetly and respectfully.

Lt Webster says the presence in Petrolia started with about a dozen people receiving a free meal. After an initial hesitancy, the support has since grown to 30 people regularly stopping by for food and fellowship.

In May 2023, more than 1 000 meals were provided between the locations in Sarnia and Petrolia, up from 922 in April and 800 in March, so the growing demand is clear. This has led to service partners Lambton Public Health nurses providing basic health care, and Sarnia Public Library staff signing up clients for library cards.

The Sarnia Community Church also has partnerships with foodservice provider Sysco Canada and local restaurant OMG Poutine, which provides the fries and cheese curd meal to The Salvation Army at no charge.

“This program has become something beyond anything we imagined. When you bring God into things, He does what He does. This is very much God-grown program, and we get to pray with people. It has created an opportunity to share love of Jesus, and not be apologetic about it. God has blessed us,” Lt Webster says.

To learn more about The Salvation Army Sarnia Community Church and its programs please call 519-344-1142 or visit www.salvationarmy.ca to donate.