A Look Back on Food and Social Isolation

With the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020, Kits Cares Cafe had to pivot from a community cafe to sharing grocery hampers and home deliveries.


As the community adjusted to new ways of being together, we reflected on the critical role of food and how it continued to bring people together. Like the breaking of bread in the Eucharist, the practice of sharing a meal together at the table draws people from different backgrounds into relationship with one another. At Tenth Church, sharing food is not just providing physical sustenance but it is also an act of worship. God calls us to love our neighbours; helping those in need with food. Providing food in community with others is a way to express our need for the spiritual. Jesus calls himself the "Bread of Life" and sharing food together is a sign of, and way towards, connecting with Him.

Gathering every Thursday, the community navigated a location change from the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, over a few blocks away to Lord's Grace Church.


In September 2021, we moved to our current location at Redemption Church.

Over the past year, we have been grateful for the weekly gathering to share groceries including fresh produce, milk, eggs, bread, and more. Thank you, Tenth Church Westside, for your faithful presence in serving, and generosity in donations over these past few years! 

After reviewing many approaches to addressing food insecurity - regionally, nationally, and globally - we began to deeply examine a transition from an emergency grocery hamper model, towards a community food market approach. This approach allows people to access food at zero/low cost, while providing everyone with options that promotes dignity, and facilitates sharing fresh produce and other healthy food options.

Why a food market model?
A community food market can be summed up in three words: food, people, place - where the main goal is to provide a dignified manner for low-income communities to access fresh fruits and vegetables. We aim to make the market a place where any income level feels as though s/he has stepped into a cherished place. 

Customers get to pick out their own food, most similar to a grocery store or farmers
market experience. The market will be aesthetically pleasing. Knowing that the market is made for them, the guest will feel as though s/he is valuable because of the efforts we put into the space. Convenient and accessible, the Kits Cares community food market welcomes people to pick up groceries while enjoying a coffee and a pastry with a neighbour. Our goal is to foster a dignifying experience that ensures individuals have choice over the food they receive, and to enhance accessibility to healthy food options.

The community food market will help to address systemic barriers to accessing nutritious food at a low cost.  This model maintains a welcoming posture without the barrier of pre-registration or ID-checking.  The Kits Cares community food market prioritizes community engagement such as conversation, recipe-sharing and volunteer opportunities for community members. 

How can you help?

• We hope to transition the model in early February; please pray with us as we nagivate the details involved in this transition
• Pray for those who God might be leading to serve and to give towards the Kits Cares community food market
• Though this market does earn revenue, it will be impossible for the market to sustain itself on this revenue. Donors and grants are needed to cover the subsidy for the groceries. $47,000 is what's needed to sustain the market! This adds up to approximately $900 a week. Please consider giving at www.tenth.ca/give and select "Kits Cares"
• We invite volunteers to serve and welcome people into a dignifying experience. To sign up, please visit www.tenth.ca/kitscares and click on the volunteer application form.