St. Columba ParishNeed help?
Call the confidential line: 416-555-0142, extension 30, and leave a message — a Vincentian calls back within two days. Or come to the pantry on Tuesday or Saturday morning, 10:00 AM to noon, at the hall door on the parking lot. No referral, no paperwork on the first visit, no questions about faith or status.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a lay Catholic organization founded in Paris in 1833 by a 20-year-old student, Frédéric Ozanam, to serve the poor person to person. Our conference of thirty-two members has been at St. Columba since 1958. Last year it served about ninety households a week through the pantry and made 210 home visits.
Food pantry
A week's groceries for the household — rice, pasta, canned fish and vegetables, eggs, milk, fresh produce when we have it, and diapers and formula for families. Tuesdays and Saturdays, 10 AM to noon.
Home visits
Two Vincentians visit, listen, and help with what is actually needed: a rent shortfall, a hydro bill, a bed for a child, a bus pass to a job interview, a referral to a service that can do more.
Seasonal help
Thanksgiving and Christmas hampers (with the Knights), back-to-school supplies in August, winter coats through Coats for Kids, and Christmas gifts for 120 children.
How to give
Food
Bins at every church door, any time. Most needed right now:
- Rice (2 kg bags), pasta and pasta sauce
- Canned fish, beans and vegetables
- Cooking oil, flour, sugar
- Peanut butter, cereal, oats
- Baby formula, diapers (sizes 4–6), wipes
- Toothpaste, soap, feminine hygiene products
Please check dates; we cannot distribute expired food. No glass jars if possible.
Money
Cash goes furthest — the conference buys fresh food wholesale and pays bills directly. Give through the parish giving page designated "St. Vincent de Paul", by envelope marked SSVP, or at the monthly SSVP collection on the last Sunday. Gifts are receipted by the Society. A $50 gift feeds a family for a week; $500 keeps a family in their apartment.
Things
Furniture and clothing go to the Society's stores and depots; call the National Council's Toronto pickup line, which the conference can give you. We cannot store furniture at the parish.
Volunteer
Pantry mornings need sorters, packers and greeters (Tuesday and Saturday, 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM); a monthly commitment is ideal. Home visitors are full members of the conference, attend the meeting on the first Thursday at 7:00 PM, complete high-risk screening and are trained in pairs. Drivers with a car are gold. Students earn service hours on Saturdays. Email ssvp@stcolumbatoronto.ca; president: Rosemary Achebe.
Questions
Do I have to be Catholic, or live in the parish, to get help?
No. The pantry serves anyone in the neighbourhood; home visits are for people living within the parish boundaries, and we refer others to the conference nearest them.
Is my visit confidential?
Absolutely. Vincentians never discuss who they help, and records are kept only as required for the Society's audit.
How often can I come to the pantry?
Once a week. Households register on the second visit (name, address, household size) so that we can plan.
Learn more about the Society at ssvp.ca.