As a parish, St. Willibrord has been fighting against food insecurity since its inception and formally from the 1970s through its Soup Kitchen and Food Bank. Over the past five years, Verdun has seen dwindling support and resources and food bank closures, coupled with grocery cost inflation and increased costs of living. The calling to mobilize and take leadership was heard at St. Willibrord.
In late 2023, the planning and launch of an entirely revamped Food Bank was brought to fruition through volunteer support and, as importantly, the monetary and grocery donations from the parishioners of St. Ignatius and St. Willibrord. In early 2024, after a year of unforeseen challenges, the Soup Kitchen was reopened permanently through a successful pilot project in collaboration with Catholic Action Montreal. This was made possible by the amazing volunteer response from both St. Willibrord and St. Ignatius.
The Food Bank and Soup Kitchen—now under the banner of St. Will’s Place—are able to serve over 150 guests a week! The ministry also holds a seat on Verdun sans faim, a community table organized under the Concertation en développement social de Verdun (CDSV). St. Will’s Place has been invited as a key stakeholder to help lead the reorganization of the community food circuit in 2024.
While we work together to nourish the bodies of our neighbours, the Holy Spirit is at work nourishing their souls. St. Will’s Place is becoming a place of encounter for both volunteers and guests alike. The volunteers range from longtime parishioners to those who are new parishioners and first time Alpha guests. Patrons have also signed up for Alpha, started coming to Sunday Mass, and even become volunteers into these and other ministries.