Community Lunch Program

Championing food security for the most vulnerable in our community is both a mission and an imperative at Maison Saint Columba House.

Every week, our kitchen hums and becomes a bustling hub of compassion, where our devoted team of staff and tireless volunteers prepare and deliver an average of 500 meals to those in need – children, adults, and isolated seniors alike.

As you may know, daily meals served in our communal dining room are a vital source of nourishment for many in our community. The Community Lunch Program offers Point St. Charles residents and guests, hot, nutritious and balanced meals prepared daily by our Lunch Program staff and volunteers. The cost of each meal is a symbolic $2.00 (or a $30 card for 20 meals), and up to 125 meals a day can be served to anyone who ventures in and requests one. Our cafeteria also serves as an important meeting place where people can socialize, organize, mobilize, and interact with other people to counter isolation. It is a community space offering support and opportunities to nurture social networks.

In 2024, our Community Lunch Program led by Chef Thomas Winiarski, and sous-chef Rosa Julia Yon, alongside their dedicated team of PAAS Action* members and volunteers, industriously prepared and served a staggering 13,449 hot meals. We are proud of this achievement, and express our gratitude to Moisson Montreal for giving us approximately 21,100 kilograms of food last year, representing an estimated value of $163,000.

The Community Lunch cafeteria opens every day at 10:00 a.m., offering a place for people to socialize over coffee. Meals are served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

PAAS Action*, a government program dedicated to reintegrating individuals facing challenges into the workforce, is supported by a remarkable team, each contributing their unique strengths and talents to our lunch program’s recent triumphs. Among them are Lindsay, whose generosity knows no bounds; Van, renowned as the fastest dishwasher in Montreal; Justin, our dedicated Meals-On-Wheels deliveryman; Michel, whose hearty hugs match his strength in handling the heaviest pots. We also want to thank our volunteers Steven, Donna, Jean-Claude, and Dominic, who served meals with unparalleled love and care.

If the simple act of eating allows us all to live another day, recognizing that we are not alone allows us all to live with dignity. Because everyone, without exception, deserves the comfort that at least one healthy meal can provide each and every single day.