Feeding Hope on Sundays

A new Sunday meal program launched by St. Saviour’s Pro-Cathedral in Nelson, British Columbia is filling a critical food security gap for the city’s most vulnerable residents—thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC).

Funded through AFC’s Category C grants program, the project is also a major investment from the Foundation’s Community Ministries Fund, which supports outreach ministries that reflect the Church’s commitment to compassion, justice, and community transformation.

The Sunday Community Meal Project began serving meals on Thanksgiving Sunday 2024, offering hot, nutritious food to people who often have no access to prepared meals on weekends. Nelson, like many cities in British Columbia, is experiencing a growing crisis in housing and homelessness. For those living outdoors or without kitchen facilities, food bank staples are not enough.

“St. Saviour’s has a long history of responding to local needs with grace and generosity,” says the Rev. David Burrows, Incumbent Priest. “This project is our next step in that journey. We’re not just serving food—we’re building relationships and nurturing a space where people feel safe, seen, and loved.”

The parish already operates a thriving Friday food pantry, but the meal program addresses a different need. Working with community partners including the Nelson Community Food Centre and ANKORS, the church has recruited volunteers from across the city and built a sustainable three-year plan.

With the AFC grant, St. Saviour’s will be able to purchase essential kitchen equipment, cover rising food and utility costs, and provide volunteer training, honorariums for people with lived experience, and other supports to grow the program.

For AFC Executive Director Dr. Scott Brubacher, this initiative is a powerful example of how strategic investments can amplify a parish’s deep-rooted commitment to its community.

“The Sunday meal program shows how even small congregations can meet complex challenges with creativity and courage,” says Brubacher. “Through our Category C grants and the Community Ministries Fund, AFC is helping churches like St. Saviour’s take on leadership roles in their cities—meeting urgent needs while embodying the Church’s call to love and serve. This is what we mean when we talk about being a strategic partner. AFC isn’t just funding good ideas—we’re investing in ministries that transform lives.”

As the program continues to grow, St. Saviour’s hopes to inspire similar models in other parishes and dioceses. For now, the church is focused on one meal at a time—feeding bodies and spirits each Sunday in the heart of Nelson.

“We believe God is present at every table,” says Rev. Burrows. “And when we break bread together, hope is always on the menu.”