A once-a-week event in Canmore that provides free hearty meals and a good dose of social interaction with other community members is now in full swing with a new name and tasty new dishes each week.
The Community Food & Friends Night, formerly known as Community Soup & Bun Night, takes place every Monday from 5-7 p.m. at St. Michael’s Anglican Church Hall in Canmore.
Featuring full dinners prepared by Canmore resident Carol Picard, the volunteer-led initiative has increased its attendance each week and with the type of courses coming out of the kitchen, it’s not hard to understand why.
“It has been incredibly successful,” said event organizer Sean Krausert, who noted some of the meals have included bacon cheddar potato chowder with pasta salad, beef stew, lasagna with caesar salad and garlic toast and, this past Monday (April 29), shepherd’s pie.
“We started with six tables and last week we added another,” he said. “It’s a good thing in the sense we’re attracting all elements of the community.”
The actual attendance number has risen from 36 people four weeks ago to 60 people on Monday evening, which has been the result of the change in scope of the original initiative to provide a full course dinner instead of just soup and bread.
“With anything new you need to constantly evaluate and make changes based on the needs that you see,” the organizer said. “The comment I was getting back was that the soup was delicious, but it’s not really a dinner.”
The type of atmosphere within the room where all members of the community are welcome has been another influence for the increased attendance.
“Because it attracts all elements of community, nobody stands out,” he said. “There’s no stigma to showing up there. We’ve been really working to create an atmosphere where it’s just about community.
“We get people of all ages,” he added. “There’s some young families that have become regulars, there’s some seniors who are regulars.
Thanks to donations from the Bow Valley Food Bank and Anglican Church Women in the amount of $3,000 and $1,000, respectively, the food and friends night has been able to purchase enough to accommodate all guests. A recent fundraiser by volunteers amounted to an additional $500 donation.
“That provides the (seed) money that allows us to plan and gives us certainty that we’ll be able to operate,” he said. “Everything else is donated and run by volunteers.”
Krausert also pointed out this joint initiative by six local churches – St. Michael’s Anglican, Mountain Baptist, Ralph Connor United, Rocky Mountain Victory, Trinity Bible and Our Lady of the Rockies – is a great way for those seeking some financial relief or accessible social interaction.
“Come and check it out,” he said. “People can see for themselves and have some great food and be in good company with one another.”
