Open Door Meal
Every couple of weeks, St James provides a hot meal to around 150 homeless and vulnerably housed people. The Open Door Meal, which takes place from 7pm – 9:30pm, is run almost entirely by volunteers. Many are from St James, some come from other London churches and some don’t profess a particular faith. Amanda Hogarth is the part time member of staff responsible for organising the Meal. Please feel free to contact her for any information on amanda.hogarth@sjtl.orgThe meal is currently meeting at St Saviour’s Church on Lupus Street while the Parish Centre at St James is renovated. Doors open at 7pm on the last Friday of the month; all are welcome.
There are lots of day centres and soup runs in London, but few places where homeless people and others can enjoy good food and socialise in a warm place in the evenings. Although we do not have the expertise to tackle the complex social problems many of our guests face, we are a link in the chain of services provided by other organisations.
Loneliness and isolation often make it difficult for those who have been on the streets to settle into accommodation or for those fighting addiction to move on to new lives.
Loneliness and isolation often make it difficult for those who have been on the streets to settle into accommodation or for those fighting addiction to move on to new lives.
Therefore the ODM aims to show God’s love by building a friendly, sociable and consistent community where all guests are welcomed, treated with dignity and can enjoy spending time with each other and the volunteers.
As one guest said, “It is so brilliant, I love it. The portions are huge and delicious, but it is not just the food, it is so much more than that, it is the generosity of the volunteers. It is wonderful here.”
We are always looking for new volunteers, so please contact Amanda if you would like to help.