Peter Franke is a regular patron of St. Francis Table. (Photo by Meggie Hoegler)
TORONTO (CCN)—Sandwiched between a swanky taqueria and a slough of trendy bars selling
$12 cocktails is St. Francis Table – a restaurant for the poor that has
been serving $1 meals for 30 years.
The Parkdale institution has
offered its patrons nutritious meals and full restaurant service six
days a week since 1987. To honour the work of the Franciscan friars and
their impact on the community, the laneway behind the restaurant is
being renamed St. Francis’ Lane.
Brother John Frampton, animator of St.
Francis Table, put in a request for the name change to the City of
Toronto and it was approved almost instantly. “We are expecting the sign
to be installed any day now,” said Brother Frampton.
“It’s a beautiful
thing,” said Lionel Alleluia, the chaplaincy lead and teacher with
Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School. “They have been a pillar in
this community for people who need support. I think it’s only fair that
they are recognized for all of their hard work.”
On this morning,
Alleluia is volunteering with a group of students from Henry Carr. His
students wear white aprons and greet the patrons with a friendly smile.
They serve plates filled with perogies, baked beans, french fries, and
vegetables. He has been bringing students to the restaurant to volunteer
for five years as part of a chaplaincy initiative.
“It plants the
seed of giving back,” said Alleluia. “When these kids come here, their
eyes are opened and their horizons are broadened. We get them thinking
about the world outside of themselves.”
This is Sonny Doria’s fourth
time volunteering at St. Francis Table. The Henry Carr student says the
good feeling he gets after helping people is what keeps bringing him
back.
“I really enjoy serving and getting to know all the people who
come in,” said Doria, 16. “They say thank you and call me a good kid.
That’s why I’m doing this.”
When the restaurant first opened,
Parkdale was home to a significant population living below the poverty
line. Patients from the nearby Queen St. and Lakeshore Psychiatric
Hospitals were released to integrate into the community, giving rise to a
population struggling with untrusting mental illness.
The face of
Parkdale is changing. Today, it is a mixture of old and new, poverty and
luxury dwelling side by side. There are condos a block away from
government housing projects. The homeless share the sidewalk with
entrepreneurs who live in loft-style condos.
Despite their
differences, the restaurant and the Franciscan friars have a great
relationship with their trendy neighbours. “Our neighbours have been
nothing but supportive,” said Brother Frampton. “Doomie’s (a vegan restaurant
across the street) brings us leftover food they don’t use. The same
butchers and convenience stores have been donating to us for years.”
The
restaurant relies entirely on donations, both private and from
corporations such as Loblaws and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
Frampton
says the patrons of St. Francis Table come from all walks of life:
those battling addiction, mental illnesses, working poor, unemployed, single parents, elderly, and children. Frampton estimates the
restaurant serves about 40,000 meals a year.
The gentrification of the neighbourhood has caused rent to skyrocket, leaving many unable to afford basic necessities like food and forcing others to move away.
“When you pay $725 a month in rent, that doesn’t leave you
much to spend on food,” said Peter Franke, a regular patron at St.
Francis Table. Franke knows Brother Frampton and settles into his usual table
with a smile. “They know me here; I feel comfortable. And the price is
right. I couldn’t make a sandwich at home for a dollar.”
St. Francis
Table is not so different from its neighbouring restaurants. Patrons
sit at a table, order off a menu, and are served by a staff member. The
price of a loonie helps make a point.
“Toronto didn’t need another soup kitchen,” said Brother Frampton. “We wanted to provide a service with more dignity.”
As for the next 30 years at St. Francis Table, Brother Frampton envisions a future where food ministries are no longer needed.
“During
election time, politicians will knock on this door and say ‘Vote for
me! Here’s what I’ll do.’ They always focus on health care or roads or
public transportation. I will ask them what they plan on doing for the
people we serve here. How are they planning to end hunger in the city?”
St.
Francis Table will celebrate its anniversary on Oct. 4, the Feast of
St. Francis of Assisi. Although they will not be serving food, the
friars encourage everyone to come and learn more about St. Francis
Table.
“We are not celebrating the need for food,” said Frampton. “We
are celebrating 30 years of volunteers and helping our community.”