St. Peter’s Church is well known in Mississauga. Perched on a rise at the corner of Mississauga Road and Dundas Street, “the church on the hill” is a familiar and much-loved landmark. But what may be less familiar to Mississauga residents is the work the goes on inside the church to help fight hunger. The church’s food pantry, Deacon’s Cupboard, has been providing emergency food to central Mississauga since 2004.
Every Wednesday from 9am to 1pm, fifty volunteers led by Belinda Morrow, serve a continental breakfast to those in need. But Deacon’s Cupboard does more than just provide a nourishing breakfast. It is also addressing the root causes of why people need to access the food bank by helping clients connect with a registered nurse, nutritionist, social worker, and pastor, all under one roof.
As of October, 1,402 households had made 4,797 visits to the pantry and with numbers up 4% from last year, St. Peter’s has recently introduced Little Deacon’s Cupboard to help people, especially the homeless, who may not be able to get to the church on the one day a week that it is open. A small food cupboard located on the church grounds, Little Deacon’s Cupboard allows donors and those in need to give and receive anonymously, and on their own time. “Take what you need, give what you can” is a simple concept and yet one that is both generous and flexible. Belinda Morrow reports it has been an outstanding success.
