Community Cafe celebrates one year anniversary

Truro’s Community Café is celebrating its first anniversary.

The Community Café is a program ran weekly by the Salvation Army; aimed towards bringing members of the local community together for a free morning of coffee, tea, and snacks.

“We are really excited to be celebrating the first anniversary of the café program,” said Lt. Sarah Braye, pastor of Truro’s Salvation Army.

“When we first started September 15, of last year, we had 30 people come in,” added Beverley Snooks. “Our last café brought in just over 120 people.”

Snooks is part of a team of six volunteers from within the church who work to ensure that no one ever leaves with an empty stomach. When the numbers in attendance began to grow, the ladies of the church expanded outward, into their homes; making nearly everything from cookies to sandwiches from scratch for the following day.

June Burley takes pride in the near 100 biscuits she brings in each week.

“They call me the biscuit lady,” said Burley with a smile.

Even before the doors opened, some patrons waited outside the church enjoying the morning sun.

“It’s a nice thing; to start a morning off with a snack and some people to chat with,” one patron offered. Others nodded in agreement.

The volunteers take pride in looking out of the kitchen; and seeing full, happy, tables.

“This is something we do for the entire community,” says Lt. Braye. “There’s always an empty chair and a cup of coffee waiting for anyone who’d like to stop by.”

The Community Café celebrated its first anniversary on September 13.

The Community Café runs 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every Tuesday at the Salvation Army Church at 14 Outram Street.

This story originally appeared in Hubnow, on September 13, 2016 – http://hubnow.ca/