Our Beginnings The Soup Kitchen at George Street United Church was opened in the Jimmy Pratt Memorial Outreach Centre with the support of Kathy LeGrow. Since its inception in January 2002 the Soup Kitchen has fed over 30,000 people without missing a Friday.
Our Future Thanks to the patronage of Elinor Gill-Ratcliffe and government grant monies, our Soup Kitchen expanded to include a Computer Access Program. In a Needs Assessment, many Soup Kitchen clients said they required computers for job searching and internet/e-mail access. A seniors’ focus group also indicated a need for computer access.
Kitchen Services Expansion We are curerently offering a "hot breakfast" every Monday Morning for the winter months (January-March) from 9:00AM to 10:30 AM. All are welcome!
Our Sponsors Through the generous support of sponsors, we are able to provide a hot, nutritious meal to 80-130 people weekly. We sincerely thank all our volunteers, as well as our corporate and individual sponsors for their continued support: Kathy LeGrow Hudson Foundation Elinor Gill-Ratcliffe Bell Aliant Canship Ugland Capital Hyundai City Honda Manna Bakery Stewart McKelvey-Lawyers Price Waterhouse Tim Horton’s (Ropewalk Lane) Delta Hotel Convergys CRA Social Club Pennecon Boston Pizza Prudential Reardon Realty Ches Penney & Family Blue Buoy Foods Suncor The Keg Fry Foundation Dept Municipal Affairs Staff The United Way East Coast Catering Downtown Development Assoc Production Services Network How You Can Help The Jimmy Pratt Memorial Soup Kitchen @ George Street United Church:
Each Friday throughout the year, George Street United Church offers a hot lunch to those individuals in the downtown core of St. John's who are less fortunate. This service is available at George Street, thanks to a very generous gift from Kathleen (Pratt) LeGrow, as a memorial to her brother, and through other corporate donations and sponsorship. One of our major sponsors, who have supported the outreach centre since its beginning, is Manna European Bakery & Deli. Since the "Jimmy Pratt Memorial Outreach Centre" opened its doors for the first time on Sunday, 23 December 2001, its success has been in no small part thanks to the efforts of a small group of dedicated volunteers from George Street and other St. John's Congregations. On Friday's the "Jimmy Pratt Memorial Outreach Centre" is open from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM and during this period, the Centre often serves up to 100 meals. In addition to the meal, our volunteers spend some time with the centre visitors in conversation and fellowship. If they so choose, the visitors can also spend some time in our "Friendship Corner" where they can relax and watch some TV or a video and perhaps even spend a little time "surfing the internet". Volunteer’s Creed Though my battles and my worries Other souls are also hurting, With this purpose as my focus, It is one of God’s true lessons, How my walk is meant to be; True happiness I find When life’s not only about me. |