Volunteers needed for the neediest

As the cold weather sets in, All Saints, Sherbourne Street is in urgent need of volunteers. Located at the corner of Dundas and Sherbourne streets in downtown Toronto, All Saints serves one of the most challenged neighbourhoods in the city. Its drop-in and related programs help hundreds of people a day, from sex workers and substance users to the hungry and homeless.

Volunteers are needed for the church’s drop-in (open Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.), a men’s cooking group, a women’s lunch and drop-in, a weekly breakfast with sex workers and building maintenance. Tasks include preparing and serving food, washing dishes and cleaning up after meals, unloading and unpacking food deliveries, picking up food donations, interacting with clients, providing harm reduction supplies and providing clothing to clients from the church’s emergency clothing bank.

“Volunteers and staff work alongside members of the community to help foster social inclusion, equality and mutual respect,” says Shea Gerrie, volunteer coordinator. All Saints is also in need of hats, gloves, adult winter coats and boots.

Volunteers with skills in the following areas are also needed: cook, hair stylist, legal aid, teaching reading and writing, resume-writing and job skill training and assessment, yoga instructor, arts and crafts teacher, art therapist and poetry group leader.

For more information and updates, contact Shea Gerrie at shea@ allsaintstoronto.com or follow All Saints on Instagram, @all.saints.toronto.