New kitchen will provide upwards of 450 meals and snacks each week.

We were on hand this week to celebrate, with The Mess Studio, the official opening of their new commercial grade kitchen in Gill Hall of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.  The Foundation was one of many funders that supported this renovation project with a grant of $1,000 from the Regina Rosen Food First Fund.

The kitchen is used by The Mess Studio which operates Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week from 10 am to 2 pm out of Gill Hall in the St. Andrew’s Church on Clergy Street (corner of Princess and Clergy).

The Mess Studio invites anyone with an interest in art and building healthy community to come, connect and create art and in a safe and welcoming space.  The community is diverse and inclusive – upwards of 50 artists can be found working in the studio at any given time.  At the heart of the community are people struggling with physical or mental health issues, addictions, poverty and loneliness.  Lunch is shared with everyone who is in the studio at 12 noon.

When asked about the impact of the kitchen on the community, Sandi Dodds, Executive Director of the Mess studio shared “We all know that healthy eating promotes healthy living.  Sharing lunch together is so important to the building of our healthy community.  It is a time for each of us to stop what we are doing, give thanks for what we have and check in with others.  Thanks to the kitchen renovation, we are able to facilitate this time of connection in a safer, more efficient manner.  Our footprint has been reduced greatly by the discontinuation of disposable plates, cups, etc.”

The kitchen will also benefit other community groups using the space: Special Meals – Sunday Night Suppers serves a home cooked meal on Sunday nights from September to June.  This community supper is provided free of charge for anyone to attend.  The Kingston Street Mission promotes friendship and a warm space 5 out of 7 evenings per week; they use the kitchen to provide hot drinks and snacks during the cold months from November to April.

In total, an estimated 450 meals or snacks will be served from the kitchen each week; providing not only food to those who may need it, but also helping to create a sense of community by bringing people together for a meal.

We were pleased to support this project that will benefit so many people.

• Help make possible other great food security projects our community by supporting the Regina Rosen Food First Fund.
• Did you know that The Mess Studio is one of over 20 charities that has an endowment fund at the Foundation? You can support their work in the long term by making a gift of any size directly to their fund.