Every Saturday morning, a group of Toronto Catholic teachers and students greet more than 100 guests with smiling faces and a plate full of eggs, ham and toast.
Michael Arbour is a former religion teacher at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts. Since retiring in 2008, he dedicates his time keeping the breakfast program running. Arbour said the most rewarding part is building this sense of community within a small part of downtown Toronto.
“There’s a lot of individualism in our culture,” he said. “First and foremost, we serve the community and we connect with the community.”
Winter months can be especially hard for the underprivileged in the neighbourhood. But Arbour said there are a lot of agencies that are out on the streets helping the community.
Not all guests who come for breakfast are homeless, said Arbour. Many are from low-income households or have fixed incomes, like welfare or disability insurance. Some are refugees, others are students, pensioners, new immigrants or people who are just struggling to make ends meet.
“I’m a better developed person. I’m a more complete human being because I get to interact and hang out with these guys,” Arbour said.
The program began 24 years ago as a community project headed by an Evangelical minister, Joe Elkerton. It was set up in the Anglican church, financed from donations, and today is largely staffed by volunteers from Toronto’s Catholic school network.
Arbour coordinates the Saturday breakfast alongside his brother, Arthur, and former teaching colleague Nona MacDonald. Together, they stock the food supplies, train the student volunteers and keep the weekly operations running.
Each week, students and staff from a different school come to volunteer. Cardinal Carter and Bayview Glen Independent School have been a part of the program the longest, followed by St. Joseph’s College School, Neil McNeil High School and Msgr. Percy Johnson Catholic High School.
Students and their supervising teachers arrive at the church hall at around 6:30 a.m. to fire up the coffee machine and set up the tables and chairs. Then, they begin their prep in the kitchen.
For some students, this is the first time they are encountering the vulnerable people of Toronto. There are many who are cooking eggs or washing dishes on their own for the first time. Arbour said he is always amazed to see how eager they are to work.
Elvis Thomas teaches a Leadership Program at Neil McNeil High School. As part of the school curriculum, his students are required to complete 50 hours of community service. Every month, Thomas brings a group of about 10 students to volunteer with him.
“For some of them, it’s their first time and they get an appreciation of where they’re at ... a lot of them are amazed, shocked,” he said. “In the end, I let them know that it’s not about them, it’s about giving back and not looking for anything in return which I think is soup for the soul.”
At the end of every breakfast service, all the volunteers sit together and reflect.
“Christmas is definitely a season of giving, so I think this is our way of helping the community around us,” said Jordann Nnabuogor, a Grade 11 student at Neil McNeil.
“It seemed like everyone was happy to be here,” said classmate Aidan McLaughlin. “It’s a good experience and if other students have the opportunity, they should do it.”