In the Spring of 1978 the late Fr. Fred Magee, OMI sowed a seed that has grown and flourished into what is now a defining part of The St. Joseph’s Parish and the Ottawa Community. This outreach ministry serves those who come to our door in need of food – food for the body, from the lovingly prepared meals; food for the soul, offered through respect and attention; and food for the heart that comes through the company of others.

We gather together each weeknight around the serving of a meal and welcome one another in conversation and companionship, or in respectful acknowledgement of those who wish to be silent. In the beginning, the program provided bagged lunches made in a tiny room in the rectory.

After a few months, a place was found to allow guests to come in and eat at a long table with several chairs surrounding it. In 1984, one displaced secretary and some renovations later, the kitchen moved and expanded. From there it expanded further, in 2009, to the present day facility which includes a fully equipped kitchen and a nicely appointed dining room which can seat up to 24 people.

Over the years, the few guests grew into many, as many as 190 on some evenings. The pantry, without even a stove grew into a fully equipped kitchen. The tiny crowded seating area for 8 grew into a larger, though still sometimes crowded, seating area for 24. The number of bagged lunches grew from a handful to, on some evenings, as many as 80. The small homogenous core of volunteers has grown into a larger, more diverse collection of working people, students, and seniors.

Today, volunteers come in as early as 4:00pm in the afternoon to prepare, hot food, juice and coffee, and then serve our guests with warmth and respect, no matter what minor contretemps occur.