Volunteer at Agape Table believes it saved his life

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This article was published 14/04/2014 (4201 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Every morning, people line up outside All Saints’ Church for breakfast.

John Thompson is very familiar with those lineups.

“It would get really cold in the winter,” he said. “I used to stand outside for about an hour, but everybody talks, and people would have a smoke.”

For five years, Thompson went to the Lighthouse Mission, a local food service where he ate soup and sandwiches.

During that time, Thompson also struggled with alcoholism and was in and out of hospital.

Two years ago, he lined up for something different.

Thompson started volunteering with Agape Table, a community nutrition centre based out of All Saints’ Church. The centre serves breakfast to the homeless or people living in bad circumstances.

Today, Thompson believes Agape Table saved his life.

“My birthday is in May and it’s a big milestone for me. I never thought I would have made it to 60,” he said. “I just woke up one morning and that was my New Year’s resolution.”

Every day, Thompson volunteers at Agape Table by sweeping floors and putting chairs away. On Tuesdays, he helps prepare for the Low Cost Grocery program in which families can purchase healthy foods at a low price.

Thompson considers himself a role model for people living in a similar situation and wants to continue volunteering to help them make a change.

“I see everybody and say hi to everybody,” he said. “I think I’m being an influence because they (guests at Agape Table) remember me from my past. So it’s helping me to be a better person than who I was before.”

Agape Table has been serving breakfast from Monday to Friday since 1980. Today it serves between 200 to 250 guests.

The program offers a subsidized breakfast — people can come and pay $1 for a full plate of nutritious food. There is also an emergency meal that offers free soup, toast and coffee.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” said Kate Reynolds, volunteer co-ordinator at Agape Table. “People who are homeless and people who are in bad circumstances really need a place to go first thing in the morning to get them started so they can take on their day.”

James McPhee takes on his day by drinking a cup of coffee.

“When I’m really treating myself I’ll take it with sugar and cream,” he said.

But on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, McPhee wants to treat guests at Agape Table instead.

He does this by putting on a fresh pot of coffee for the guests. He also makes sure all the sugar bowls are filled.

“It’s kept me busy and introduces me to a lot of different people,” he said while wiping down tables. “People are struggling to get ahead and they need that little bit of help to make it a little easier.”

The Winnipeg resident heard about the centre when a friend recommended he come down for a cup of coffee.

When McPhee was offered a volunteer position busing tables, the Winnipeg resident knew he couldn’t say no.

But due to his health, McPhee hasn’t been able to help out as much as he would like.

“When I was in the hospital, it made me mad that I couldn’t come here. It was making me sad that I couldn’t come here,” he said. “But if I don’t get healthy I’ll never be able to come back.”

Despite his health, McPhee wants to continue helping others at Agape Table.

“I’ll keep volunteering here until the day I die,” said McPhee. “It makes me very happy that I can help someone.”