The Rainbow Kitchen prepares and serves a hot lunch meal to 125-140 people a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year. No money charged, and no questions asked. An estimated 1,100+ individuals are served over 36,000 meals during the year. Many guests describe this noon meal as their “food security”. But it is truly more than that.
It is a place of connection, belonging and where guests and volunteers (no matter how little or much their capabili-ties allow) are part of a community, where they feel worthy, feel useful, feel safe. When people walk through the door, they are greeted with a smile and offered assistance to ensure they feel comfortable and welcome.
For more information, please contact Gigi Aivazoff at operations@rainbowkitchen.ca or 250-857-1537.
The Out of the Rain Youth Night Shelter is a community capacity building project, working to reduce the risk faced by homeless youth by providing shelter during the coldest months of the year.
A coalition of community agencies, faith-based organizations, businesses, and individual volunteers work together to provide the physical space, professional support and food for the operation of the shelter. The shelter rotates among host sites in the community in an effort to maximize community re-sources to meet the needs of homeless youth.
Trained youth workers staff the shelter each night tending to the immediate needs of the youth and lending a friendly ear. They also aim to empower youth by providing support and referrals to community programmes. Out of the Rain volunteers support shelter staff and help provide a cooked hot meal.
For more information, please contact jmortimer@beaconcs.ca or 250-884-3701.
Our Place offers a sense of belonging to Greater Victoria’s most vulnerable citizens. They provide a home, nourishment and hope through living, sharing, learning and worshipping together. For more information https://www.ourplacesociety.com