Extending the Table

Food shared at Kinbrace brings diverse people together:  asylum seekers, Canadians, neighbours, former Kinbrace residents, young and old.

While there is much that alienates (language, history, fear, uncertainty), when food is prepared with care and with the intention of sharing, it becomes a powerful invitation to bring us beyond our differences toward trust and friendship.

When we prepare and share the food we know and love, our identities are somehow deeply and uniquely affirmed.

When we are served and eat food that is new or different, our imaginations and taste buds experience a whole new way of knowing the world.

Food is deeply personal, emerging from our cultural heritage and family traditions, and shaped by landscape, environment, topography, and economy.

Meals at Kinbrace – cooked by different people from diverse backgrounds each week – are a wonderful opportunity to share our distinctiveness and appreciate our differences.

We are so grateful to Central City Foundation, Pacific Restaurant Supply, and Hawthorne Foundation, whose people understand the importance and potential of personally prepared and shared food. Together, they have recently outfitted the Kinbrace kitchen with durable stainless sinks and counter excellent food preparation equipment.  Thank you!

Together, we extend the table to and with people seeking refugee protection, shaping a strong, hospitable world.

(Unfortunately we are unable to welcome the wider community to our meals.  Our shared meals are intended for people living at Kinbrace and for those who have been invited to help.)