Agency spotlight: First United Church

Every Friday from November to April, First United Church in uptown Waterloo welcomes community members in need of a meal and a place to connect with others. The doors open at 2 p.m., giving guests time to warm up, enjoy snacks and coffee, and play games together before the evening meal is served from 6 to 7 p.m. For more than 25 years, the church at 16 William St. W has offered this space of warmth and connection—first through its overnight Out of the Cold program, and now through its meal program, Fridays at First.

Every week, a team of about 15 to 20 volunteers prepare and serve 50 meals using food received from The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. Every hot meal includes a main course, salad, soup, and dessert. Recent meals have featured spaghetti with tomato sauce and chicken parmesan, ham with scalloped potatoes, and meatloaf with mashed potatoes. They also try to accommodate dietary restrictions for guests who are gluten-free or vegetarian.

One of the weekly menus.

“We serve our guests in their seats,” explains Cathie Stewart Savage, one of the coordinators who has been volunteering with the program for 28 years. “We don’t have them line up for food. We try to make them feel more like a family, rather than takers and givers.”

While at the church, guests can also access clothing, toiletries, and non-perishable food items to take with them if needed.

“The majority of the people we serve are people on some kind of social assistance,” Cathie says. “We do have a few people who are homeless that come regularly. We also serve people who work in low-paying jobs.”

The tables set up at the church.

Cathie says their guests are extremely grateful for the meals, fellowship, and support they receive at the program.

“You develop personal relationships with them,” she shares. “You learn little bits about their family life. You might learn why they are where they are. Some of them will come to you with little problems that you can help them solve. One of the other things I do is help people apply for Ontario Electricity Support. If somebody comes to me and says, ‘my hydro bill is too high,’ that’s one I can definitely help them with.”

Volunteers preparing the food.

Cathie finds it incredibly rewarding to provide those in need with both sustenance and community.

“They get a nutritious meal and social interaction not only with other people who are in similar circumstances but also with the volunteers who come from all different walks of life,” she says. “Seeing people stable because they’re able to access support is just so rewarding.”

First United Church is one of 61 organizations in the Community Food Assistance Network. If you’d like to help The Food Bank support Network partners like First United Church, visit our Get Involved section on our website to learn more about donating food, funds, or time.