By Megan Heck
Published September 2022
As a stay-at-home mom, Gwen Gerencser held several part-time jobs prior to St. John’s Kitchen (SJK), such as a bus driver for her children’s elementary school and a retail employee at The Beer Store. When her children began to get older, she started to look for an organization to volunteer with where her availability could be flexible, and SJK was the perfect fit.
Gwen describes volunteering at SJK as incredible, as she was able to cater her volunteer hours to her schedule, and the time she dedicated was met with immense gratitude. She wanted to provide help wherever needed, which is exactly what she did – through serving food to community members and washing dishes, a role that always needed more hands. Over time, Gwen began to learn the philosophy of TWC, which she identified as taking everyone at face value, treating everyone with kindness and respect, and treating everyone equally. As TWC’s philosophy lined up with her personal ones, when a part-time opportunity became available, Gwen jumped at the chance and was grateful to have been given the position.
Gwen’s contributions to SJK are a long list that shows her willingness to help and dedication to each and every community member who visits. She begins each morning providing breakfast and coffee to community members, and then helps package hot lunches, dessert, and buttered bread to be taken down to The Garage for take-out food distribution. When The Food Bank delivers non-perishable goods once a week, she is there to help unload and organize the food onto the pantry shelves. She has been described as patient, strong, respectful, and kind-hearted by SJK volunteers and employees, which enables her to positively impact those she interacts with. Seeing Gwen in action is a treat, as she speaks with such patience and kindness, and she ensures that there is enough food for everyone. Gwen mentioned that if she cannot do something for everyone, she struggles to do it for one, showing her ongoing attempt to treat everyone equally and respectfully.
For those unfamiliar with The Garage, it is an extension of St. John’s Kitchen that opened during the pandemic to provide take-out meals. SJK usually serves 250 to 350 people, but when indoor public spaces were closed and when indoor capacities were limited, SJK had to adjust to continue output. The Garage became a take-out alternative to serve food quickly and within the restrictions created to prevent the spread of COVID. The Garage also has a pantry section that stores non-perishable food items for community members to choose from and take with them. Gwen was one of many essential team players in the opening and continuation of The Garage!
When asked if Gwen had experienced any special moments during her time at SJK, she mentioned that there have been so many over her eight years, but one that occurred recently stood out to her. One day, she was approached by a man who had driven an unhoused community member to SJK. This community member had been tenting in his backyard as the man and his wife wanted to support him through his journey to find a stable job and residence. They had gotten to know this community member and wanted him to know about the resources available to him within Waterloo Region, which is why they introduced him to SJK. They had even invited him into their kitchen where he had cooked them a fabulous Thai meal. Random acts of kindness are always a pleasure to hear about, and Gwen was happy to be a part of such a special moment.
Every individual, whether volunteer or employed, contributes positively to the work of SJK. Gwen described the staff, the volunteers, and the community members as pieces of a puzzle that work amazingly when put together. When speaking about The Garage specifically, she said that we “could not do it without the hard work and dedication of each volunteer.” Gwen wanted to specially mention two volunteers who have been with her every step of her journey and who have provided her with immense support and devotion. Bancroft and Mikhail have been volunteers for as long, if not longer, than Gwen has been involved with SJK; they provide assistance in the kitchen, package and transport meals to The Garage, and distribute take-out meals to community members. During the pandemic, volunteer help was not encouraged to limit the risk of exposure; however, Bancroft and Mikhail were adamant about continuing to volunteer and help, showing their passion and determination to provide aid.
Megan Heck is an MA English student from Laurier who completed a six week writing placement at The Working Centre.
