5221 Spring Garden Road
Kitchen phone 902 423 7574
Our Daily Bread Outreach is one of the largest ministries at St. Mary’s, distributing free bag lunches to 100 drop-ins a day. It shows to guest and volunteer alike the message of Christ manifest in our everyday lives.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus placed special attention on the hungry and commanded His followers to honour them and minister to them. He taught His followers to pray that God “Give us this day our daily bread”, and said that everyone who feeds the hungry fed Him.
Following Him, teams of volunteers prepare food and distribute it to all who need it from the Cathedral basement, Monday to Friday. In addition to veggies and sandwiches and coffee made on-site, Our Daily Bread also receives and distributes food rescues from local grocery stores and restaurants and networks with other community welfare organizations like the Central Library, Soul’s Harbour, Adsum House, Hand in Hand, and Meals on Wheels.
Get Involved
Our Daily Bread is always looking for volunteers with a heart for serving the poor with dignity. Most volunteers serve as part of the morning or afternoon team on a dedicated day of the week, but there is also sometimes need for volunteers to help with weekly groceries and food rescues, and some volunteers with more complicated schedules serve on an on-and-off basis.
Morning prep
Each weekday has a team of ‘morning volunteers’ to make sandwiches and veggie bags and prepare the space for service. Morning shifts typically start at 9:30 and go until around 11, with time for coffee together afterwards.
Afternoon service
Each weekday also has a team of ‘afternoon volunteers’ who distribute food to guests. Volunteer duties include serving sandwiches, veggies, coffee, etc., watching the door, and welcoming guests. Afternoon shifts typically start at 12:30 and go to just after 2:30.
Organizational partners
Several community organizations give extra support to Our Daily Bread with food donations and volunteer teams doing social service projects, and more offers are always welcome. Contact the coordinator if you have ideas.