March 31, 2026

 Dear Friends, 

“Every year at the Seder, we sing Dayenu. It would have been enough.
A strange idea, because the reality is, we never stop at “enough.” We keep building, growing, advancing. Passover reminds us that transformation doesn’t happen all at once. It happens in steps. And each step carries responsibility.”
Excerpts from Michael Bresler, Times of Israel

OOTC never stops at ‘enough.’

Predicting how many meals will be requested by our guests, challenged us to go beyond expectations, often granting us enough to take extras to community fridges. (If you are one to drop off canned goods, non-perishables, fruits and vegetables, linger a little longer.  You may just have a chat with a recipient who wishes to extend their good wishes, words of wisdom, a joke, a connection.)  

Just last Wednesday, as we placed all that we had left, clothes, books, toiletries, on tables for our guests to take away, the wardrobe department of the film crew renting space at Erskine Church, added some of the cast’s clothing to our pop up store!  (Watch for Puppies in the Palace appearing at Christmastime.) 

After the Sea splits (aka our program ends,) the real challenge begins. We haven’t done enough, so we continue to look and listen for the ways we can help those in our community who suffer. Save those winter boots, gloves and hats for the start of our next season.  Share your experience supporting OOTC to others who may wish to contribute ‘enough’ to feed our guests next season.  

Our group distributed 2,570 meals this season over 10 weeks. The overall program distributed 35,500 meals. The letters from three of our guests animate those numbers. 

“Thank you to everyone who volunteers their time. Without this, there would be days I don't eat at all.”

“Poverty isn't a lack of character, it's a lack of cash. Rutger Bregman. The services that are provided by your staff reflect a generosity concept. The best things in life are not things. As an urban castaway who is restricted from producing a good or service that generates value added, your dedication and efforts are a significant solace during rough times we're going through. If I have the choice between HOOTC or using a fast food chain gift card, which one offers the best meal? A bag of good quality nutriments offered in full respect by your team members triggers a significant positive impact. Back when I was normal, it made me feel good to participate in benevolent activities. There are lots of people involved in the HOOTC program and hence, I am hoping they feel good about their efforts and energy serving people who are less fortunate. Thank you so much for volunteering during these times of uncertainty. Volunteers like you genuinely and positively change our community. You strive towards making a difference; your passion, expertise and energy are unparalleled, and I respect your spirit of volunteerism immensely. Thank you for being so selfless with us and for so many in whose lives you make a tangible difference.”

“So very appreciative of all of you. The delicious meals are warmth and support. Both are always so heartwarming.”

In these testimonials, one reads between the lines of the matzo to discover the broken Afikomen, right? 
“Objects break, hearts break.  Some things can be repaired.  Others cannot.  Confronting brokenness is the beginning of the road home. It is where healing and tikkun – repair- begin.  Erica Brown

We really mean it when we say THANK YOU for everything you have done!  We never have ‘enough’ of you.

Wishing you Chag Sameach, Happy Passover and Easter!

Cindy 

 

 

Dec. 15, 2025

Dear Friends,

Many of you will remember that before COVID, OOTC recipients were truly guests, seated and served indoors. During Hanukkah, our many Jewish volunteers would gather in the church by our Hanukkiah, light candles and sing the blessings as a couple of hundred guests would look on, later to be served latkes, brisket, holiday cookies and more.  It was our public proclamation mitzvah, Pirsum HaNes, of the miraculous events in the days of the Maccabees. 

Since the horrific attack on Jews peacefully celebrating Hanukkah in Sydney, Australia, we will continue to live openly proclaiming our values and faith.  As we do every year,  this Wednesday, we will enclose dreidels and Hanukkah cookies in our takeaway bags along with a messages of hope.

From the "Palisade Five and Dime,” sharing warm items, we will show our kindness for our neighbours with the prayer that it will be returned in kind.  

Thank you for your continuous donations of toiletries, warm coats, gloves and hats. Thank you to Carol, retired Hamilton Police Services and our reception/security on duty Dec. 3.  She literally gave a guest the warm gloves from her hands when we had none left. 

Oil, a symbol of what can create light, is amazing for Hanukkah but not so good for the pipes at Erskine Presbyterian Church.  Please discard oil and grease in a jar or tin, place in fridge and it will be disposed of properly.  Phew, can you believe I tied that to Hanukkah. Another miracle. 

We are on hiatus until January 14, but maybe you’d like to keep limber.  Other locations may need ‘fill-in’ volunteers from time to time, even after the new year.  Our office has created a Volunteer-Fill-In List  for those who may be called on short notice to help. If you are interested in being placed on this list, email hootc97@gmail.com.

May the holidays and the new year bring you peace, light, and good health.  

Cindy

Nov. 21, 2025

 Hello Dear Volunteers and Supporters,

With the weekend almost here, feel proud that this week at Out of the Cold, we met many people’s most urgent needs.  At our site on Wednesday, our cooks prepared food too delicious for words!  If you don’t  believe me, the guest eating his meal on the curb confirmed it.   Pea soup, roast chicken, green beans, bread, granola bar, more bananas than they could carry (thank you Locooco’s for 6 free cases) and a standout pasta with roasted butternut squash and herbs.  Who doesn’t love a side dish that knows how to stand up for herself?  Yes, I’m making it for dinner tonight..

The weather was beautiful and guests patiently waited their turns picking up toiletries (thanks Carolyn), coats (thanks Judy and Lorne), shirts and socks (thanks Lowelly), hats, gloves, boots,  books…..

At 15:02, we sent out the last of the 255 hot meals.  After that, guests received the 28 frozen entrees and soups leftover from two weeks ago and bananas and cans of stews.  283 meals - a record number, so sad. 

Our cupboards are bare BUT, just in time, the Hamilton Hurricanes are hosting their second annual HOOTC food drive Sat and Sun at Fortinos in Waterdown. If any of you are availablle to help load up food in your vehicles on Monday morning in Waterdown at Knox Church, 80 Mill St. N. and unload it at our office on McNab in Hamilton, we would very must appreciate it.  

On Wednesday, Dec. 17th, we will be adding Hanukkah cookies and dreidels to our guests takeaway bags.  PLEASE, can you  bake and decorate cookies?  Bring them any time up to the 17th or we will pick them up. A reminder that December 17 will be our last until January 14.

Finally, everyone is invited to City Hall's HAMILTON Sign Lighting on Monday, Dec. 1st at 6:00pm  to witness the HAMILTON sign light up in blue and orange to honour the tireless efforts of our amazing 350+ volunteers! We will have hot chocolate to keep us warm and representatives from the Mayor's Office joining us. 

It is a true pleasure that we welcomed this season some amazing new volunteers to our group of like-minded energetic, kind, loud and generous warriors.  We embrace all of you. Yasher koach. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Cindy

October 15, 2025

 Shavuah Tov!  

We welcome you back to another season of Out of the Cold which debuts on Wednesday, November 5th.  This beginning is especially auspicious as it was twenty-five years ago, that Beth Jacob Synagogue’s rebetzin, Gloria Silverman z”l, brought to life our community’s commitment to feed the hungry.  With a mighty group of volunteers, she fed, clothed, provided overnight shelter and breakfast and a bagged lunch to people who depended on kindness.  Today, as we celebrated Simchat Torah in synagogues, we recited the final verses of Deuteronomy AND the opening lines of Genesis showing the continuity of the book that has no end and no beginning. We danced with the Torahs, passing them from one person to the next, commemorating our joy and recommitment to Jewish values and learning. YASHER KOACH to all of you for continuing this  meaningful tradition.  

Here is some information that many of you already proudly know by heart.  

*Erskine Presbyterian is at 19 Pearl St. N. To enter the church, walk up the ramp from the driveway and ring the doorbell. We will come running. 

*Upon entry, please wash your hands at the small kitchen sink and report to duty.  

*Erskine houses two daycares and a private school.. Please be extra mindful of little people! 

*The parking lot is strictly reserved for school staff. Please park along the side streets and take note of posted parking time restrictions. Carpool whenever possible.

Please mark your calendars with the dates of our 2025/2026 season:  Nov. 5, 19;  Dec. 3 and 17; Jan. 14, 28; Feb. 11, 25;  March 11, 25.   With a healthy volunteer roster, you may take a holiday or attend a special event guilt free.  Please share with me your absences as far in advance as possible.  If you are not well or cannot attend a shift, please text me at (905)317-7606 so that others can fill in. 

Enjoy this beautiful fleeting Fall and see you very soon, Cindy

October 1, 2025

 Dear friends

Call it what you like; it’s THAT time of the year:  Rosh Hashanah, pumpkin spice latte time, fall fairs, finding the most colourful treescape, checking in with the staff of Erskine Presbyterian, opening of the OOTC office.  You must delight in your own time-of-year traditions.  One of my faves is going out to a restaurant for dinner the night before the eve of Rosh Hashanah.  It’s not a Jewish commandment but it may as well be!! We’ve been cooking like our lives depended on it. The table is set with apples and honey, shofar, wine and candles. Someone else can cook! Let’s go out.

Where to go? Everyone agrees to meet at a restaurant downtown on Main St. E., a little past King & James. We are aware of the exceedingly high population of homeless people, mentally challenged people and people with addictions in the area. This is not a hidden reality in Hamilton any longer. Still, it is shocking.  How does one walk past a person lying on the sidewalk with an outstretched hand? Is their humanity less than ours? 

In a recent drash presented by Rabbi Aiden Pink of Park Avenue Synagogue, he acknowledged that “Justice, Justice, You Shall Pursue” was God's specific instructions for judges. We now understand it to mean that we are all responsible for creating a just society rather than being avoidant or turning a blind eye.  Rashi, the 11th Century French commentator explained that you must not squeeze your eyes shut and pretend that you didn't see what was clear in front of you. One must not remain indifferent. One must be a person of action. Expend effort and care over lost souls.

At OOTC, we meet our guests face to face.  As they pick up their bags of delicious and nutritious foods, they are engaged, receive a smile and a chat if they would like it.  A lot goes into those moments when we consider our volunteers, the shopping, fundraising, cooking and cleaning.  Would you please let me know as soon as possible if you will be a returning volunteer and confirm the time or shift that works best for you. If you know others who would like to join, there is a friendly orientation on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7:15 pm at Central Presbyterian Church.  I will share our November start date with you in the next week. Oh, the anticipation!!!

Would you like to get a head start on our season?  There are about 100 butternut squash in my garage that require peeling, cubing and freezing for future use.  Come and get a dozen or so or I will deliver asap. We are so grateful to Dundas Rotary and anonymous farmer for this yearly donation. 

Last year, our guests requested hats, gloves, boots, new underwear, and new socks.  Toiletries are appreciated too.  Your donations of warm coats are most welcome, but not all at one time. Finally and fiscally, a meal feeding 250 guests last year averaged $908.  Please spread the word that monetary donations to the OOTC Fund in memory or in honour of someone or ‘just because’ can easily and efficiently be made by calling Beth Jacob Synagogue, (905)522-1351. 

Two years ago, at our volunteer orientation, the Executive Director of The Hub, Jen Bonner, spoke about interacting with unhoused people.  She stressed the importance of consistency in people’s environment (think OOTC); the use of positive language in greetings and conversations “Be safe” rather than “Have a Good Night.” (Think OOTC); be resourceful by asking “What can we get you today?” rather than “How was your day.” (Think OOTC). Punitive language is detrimental to moving forward in a relationship “What if we do this instead?” rather than “You can’t do that.”  (Think OOTC)  

I am so grateful for many, many things in my life. Sharing with you the mitzvah known as Out of the Cold is priceless.  As we begin our self-imposed Yom Kippur fast tonight, we will think about those who fast for lack of food.  May you be sealed in the Book of Life. G’mar hatimah tova. 

Cindy

February 7, 2025

 Dear friends, 

After every meal, all of the coordinators share what they served, statistics, stories and successes in an email thread. Two days ago, I wrote:

“We are new; tell us what to do!”  Eight fresh volunteers were introduced to OOTC.  They were eager and before long, they were laughing and singing in four languages:  English, Hebrew, Spanish, French.  Hunger knows no borders and cooking brings people together.”   

This morning from Janice and Kathy in our office:

Dear Team OOTC,

Your message fills our hearts in the office, Cindy!! Thank you - for providing a welcoming space for people to experience the richness of HOOTC!!! For those of us lucky enough to experience the joy in a kitchen full of people creating food for perfect strangers, we completely understand. 

We had a call today from a guest (Jason B.) who called to say "thank you" and "You guys should be so proud of yourselves!" He would also like you to share some recipes because he said "seriously, your food is so good!" 

We want you to know that in your kitchen you create amazing meals and pour so much love into every single one!! Thank you for continuing the work out in our community. 

Kathy and Janice 

The staff of Erskine Presbyterian and The Colin MacDonald School absolutely love the aromas and sounds created by all of you. It brings them such inner strength and warmth to be present along with our program.

This all reminds me of a message presented by Rabbi Angela Bukhdahl this week. (I edit quite fiercely but please listen to the teaching in its entirety here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/central-synagogue-podcast/id1480041703?i=1000683950776)

“This new definition of tikkun olam is presented not as fixing the world as we usually think about it, but braiding the world together. We all know what it's like to imagine that the world is broken and needs fixing, and that we are the ones who can fix it. …There is much hubris in that kind of thinking…..What if the tikkun that the world and we ourselves need is not fixing, but braiding? A return to the awareness in the deepest part of our beings that we are all interconnected. Robin Wall Kimmerer writes in her book Braiding Sweetgrass, “Each person is bound to every other in a reciprocal relationship. Just as all beings have a duty to me, I have a duty to them. If an animal gives its life to feed me, I am in turn bound to support its life. If I receive a gift of pure water then I'm responsible for returning a gift in kind. An integral part of a human's education is to know those duties and how to perform them.” 

Rabbi Bukhdahl continues,  “What if we went through the world and understood that our responsibility for Tikun Olam was not to go through the world with a hammer and a nail, like a carpenter looking for broken things that we would come and fix. But if Tikun Olam was imagining ourselves as a thread looking to weave into a thicker fabric of society. Braiding is so very different than fixing.”

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to perform this mitzvah with all of you. Enjoy a little longer break before we see you again on Feb. 26, March 5 and March 19.

Shabbat Shalom,
Cindy

January 12, 2025

 Happy New Year Dear OOTC Friends and Supporters,

We are almost halfway through our 2024-2025 Season, so how about we check in on the progress we have made so far.

Committed Volunteers!!! Just before last Wednesday, when our staffing was going to be lighter than usual, I suggested we’d benefit with a few extra people and longer shifts, you all complied so generously with your time. 

We even welcomed an unexpected new person: Public Health Inspector Kristy. The facility and our team passed! Kristy said that she has inspected a lot of groups in operation but never witnessed a group having so much fun doing good. I’m soooo proud of all of you and “You Look Mahvelous” in hairnets.  Keep up the good work.

The meals are so delicious, hearty, nutritious and the portions are VERY generous.  For instance, on Wednesday, guests picked up bags filled with pea soup, meatloaf, green beans in a Greek tomato/onion/garlic/oil slurry, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, mixed bean and vegetable salad, bananas, bread, cookies.  Cases of free beets, artichokes, endive, radiccio, sno peas were offered to our guests at our open-air market.  Sunny, very little wind, -7 degrees. Two hundred and fifty-two meals were prepared, 238 distributed curbside and the rest were delivered to The Locke Street Fridge and The Hub.  (They received a half case of bananas too.)  

Meals prepared this season: 914
Meals delivered curbside: 860

In preparation for an OOTC retreat next week, I reviewed our food costs for the last two seasons and this season so far.  (The retreat will be focusing on everything from a review of our last 5-year plan to a new plan, reviews of surveys from community partners, guests, volunteers; strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities; group reports, income and expenses.) Prices for fresh produce have risen dramatically. Overall, we are spending 40% more on food.  Meat represents 35% of our food costs.  We purchase meat when it is deeply discounted and use it right away or freeze for future use. So, if you see wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tubemen near the chicken or ground lean beef, load up for us please!!

We all agree that the addition of the Colin McDonald school at Erskine is a win-win.  Just before Christmas, the children learned about our program and the people it serves and the faith communities who respond to poverty in their neighbourhood.  We were so overwhelmed with emotion to read the 250 messages of love, hope, reassurance and kindness that the children created and were placed in our takeaway bags.  Check out the picture. 

Since we began this season, we have made space, metaphorically and physically, out there on the driveway and curb to chat, kibbitz, listen to our guests, learn their names, find something new and warm for them to take away.  Civil law is built around rights; Jewish law is built around obligations.  A man recently shared, “Two years ago, you saved my life.” He, like many others, trust us to be their consistent partners, to use positive language in our greetings and conversations and to make their challenges feel just a bit lighter.

Keep doing what you’re doing and if you want to be part of our greeters out there, you are warmly welcome!!

Finally, the remaining OOTC dates are Jan. 22, Feb. 5, 26, followed just a week later on March 5 and our final dinner March 19.

See you soon, Cindy

April 22, 2024

 Dear Friends,

On the precipice of Passover, we haven’t far to look for commonalities between the Feast of Freedom and our response in the form of Hamilton Out of the Cold. Our obligation to remember that we were once vulnerable slaves in Egypt makes it incumbent on us now and forever to fight for those who struggle.

Knowing another person’s or community’s struggles may be the only way to bring about real social change. Human rights attorney, Bryan Stevenson, writes about the need to get proximate to those who are suffering. “We cannot change global injustice today if we isolate ourselves in places that are safe and removed and disconnected. To change the world, we're going to have to find ways to get close to the people who are living on the margins of society.” We can't solve problems or build bridges from a distance. Only when we are in relationship can we hear things we wouldn't otherwise hear, be exposed to ideas and context we wouldn't otherwise consider. As Stevenson says, “There is power when we get proximate. Only then can we have mercy and compassion.”

The Out of the Cold program enables us to do just that. Did you know that chatting with guests who are sorting through clothes from the trunk of your car can be bonding?  Me: Why do you need to replace socks? He: Because the rainstorm flooded the tent, completely drenching sleepmats, blankets, … everything.

Me: Can you stay with anyone? He: Used to stay with my sister but now, she stays with me.

Me: I’m sorry we ran out of meals; can we give you cans of tuna and chili? He: Yes, anything is good.  My meal was going to be ketchup.

Me: Where is your accent from?  She: I’m from Palestine. Me: It’s terrible what is happening in the Middle East. You must be worried for people you know there. She: Yes, it is terrible.  I have little food; they have less.  Me:  The Out of the Cold group hosting today’s meal is the Jewish Community and I am Jewish.  My prayers always end with the wish for peace.  She and Me: hug.

Some statistics: Ever grateful, 1,245 guests picked up 2,636 meals over 11 weeks. (Last year, 1,257 guests. I don’t know that much about Auston Matthews target of 70 goals in one season, but at 69, I know enough that he can’t be branded a loser, nor are WE!)   The huge difference lies in the cost.  Our food costs alone increased by $2,327.  Each Wednesday meal cost on average $790. Each curbside dinner cost $3.30, 71 cents more than last year.  Just imagine how much more it would be without the generous ‘donations in kind,’ from Lococos and Fortinos and the ‘to-the-ends-of-the-earth’ shopping trips to source discounted or free food!!

More importantly, we must look beyond the statistics because, at HOOTC, we are focused on PEOPLE, the ‘us’, the ‘them’, the ‘collective.’   Rabbi Shai Held writes, “As Jews, we have moral obligations which are incumbent upon us because of the simple fact that we are human beings. In its recurrent appeals to memory, the Torah seeks to amplify and intensify those obligations, to remind us, even when it is difficult to hear, that the fate of the stranger is our responsibility. This mandate may seem overwhelming at times, and its concrete implications may sometimes be difficult to discern. But loving the stranger is fundamental and lies at the heart of Torah…we have no choice but to wrestle with these words and to seek to grow in empathy and compassion.”

There is no better place to grow in empathy and compassion than in the OOTC kitchen and halls with volunteers who bring energy, humour, wisdom, creativity and flavour from their own life experiences. Ask any coordinator (aka task master hiding whip) how thousands of bags of sustenance get to people in need, and all will look to YOU.  Commitment to caring is everything. Although, HOOTC is finished for the season, your purpose doesn’t end. As Rabbi Sharon Brous writes in The Amen Effect, “The answers are found in the service. Practice asking yourself at the start of each day, how can I be of service today? What can I do today to help another person? Just the questions will awaken you to the many daily opportunities we all have to do something small, even seemingly insignificant, for another person. When we habituate to seizing those small moments, we may discover that without even meaning to, we've landed on our purpose.”

May you and your families experience the upcoming seasons in good health and may we all be together again soon. Chag Pesach Sameach.

Cindy 

February 24, 2023

 …. is there any other kind?

Hello Volunteers and Supporters of every type imaginable,

So much to report but so little time before Shabbat, so it’ll come fast and fuzzy.

- Our on site team at Erskine have filled the ovens like never before.  This Wednesday, in the ice storm, the cooks and packagers  prepared 247 meals of which 242 were picked up at the Church door instead of at the curb.  Guests received either an entree of chicken parmesan, salad, spaghetti with tomato sauce, OR roast beef, mashed potatoes, hot veggies along with a banana, home baking. The only item missing this week was hot soup which we just couldn’t handle without our full roster of cooks. An aside, several guests hinted strongly that they would welcome an invitation to eat their meals quickly indoors as the rain/ice/snow/wind was too much for their usual ‘eat at the park bench’ experience.  

- Please read the heartfelt and helpful letter attached from one of your guests.  It’ll warm you on the coldest of February days. 

- Our Board and coordinators will be meeting in a couple of weeks to discuss next year’s delivery of meals.  I’d like to hear your opinions on the following: 

* How have you felt about the current meal service?

* How would you feel about the possibility of returning to meals being served in our sites?

* What would be your volunteer willingness to serve and be on that last shift during sit down meals?

* We also have a potential hybrid meal delivery model for sites.

Reminders:  Our last two dinners will be March 8 and 22.  We are a fragrance free team. 

Be well, Shabbat Shalom and from my heart, thank you for all you do for others.

Cindy

Dec. 19, 2023

Hanukkah Edition

This evening, Lowell and I lit the first candle of our chanukkiah with our daughters and granddaughters on FaceTime. Instantly, it brought us all joy. 

The holiday reminds us to continue the tradition of brightening the darkness with light. 

Every other Wednesday, our Out of the Cold group brightens people’s days and nights. Instead of being paralyzed with hands tied and unable to spark a resistance against poverty, we are Judah the Maccabee-sized-heroes!  We illuminate a solution to inspire a movement that brightens the paths of others whose worlds need saving.  Our guests share their struggles with us and are met with more kindness than they ever thought possible.  The dreidels in this week’s gift bags of toiletries, socks, etc. may symbolize the hope and partnerships needed to combat their challenges. 

Our heroes give their time, their money, they sweeten our meals with home baked goodies, donate toiletries, clothes, food, sundries and much much more. Each gift brings dignity and humanity to someone. I promise. 

The Mishna teaches us: There is one who gives generously, yet ends with more.

Here are some of our recently ‘approved’ heroes :)  Please show your support. 

Gastro Market and Catering, King St. E.,  providing appetizers
Fortinos Main Street West, bread
Lococo’s, both locations produce and fruit
Soldaat’s Poultry
Infarm hydroponic farm in Mt. Hope. Their lettuces and herbs yields more than their purchasers’ needs, so we are privileged to accept their fresh gifts.
Costco Business Centre, St Catherines - beef and chicken
Mrs. Sylvia Johnson, 92 years old and blind who knitted dishcloths for our guests’ gift bags 

May your holiday bring you peace and fulfillment, good health and joy.

Cindy

Nov. 3, 2022

 Hi everyone, 

What a beautiful day to welcome back our guests and volunteers.

Our group prepared 200 meals that included DELICIOUS roasted chicken over Thai pasta with vegetables, fruit, baked goods from Nancy, Jane, Gail AND Betina, leftover Halloween treats, obviously, etc.  Ninety-one guests took away 157 meals. 

Twenty meals went to the community fridge at Barton and James.  I’ve heard it is always empty which was almost the case. Two containers of rotting asparagus in the fridge and zero in the pantry.  As I was loading the fridge with the full bags, people starting to come out from nowhere. Please believe me when I tell you that their need was clear and unmistakable. Another 15 meals went to the community fridge on Ottawa St. 

The breads from Fortinos were plentiful and Lococo’s gave us a cases of bananas, berries and avocados for our outdoor market. The generosity is never ending.  Our chicken wholesaler, Soldaats, actually lowered their price even after I begged them to raise it after four years without any increase.  St. Mary’s Catholic High School invited us on Tuesday to load up on their Scare Hunger Halloween Food Drive.  Now, THAT was fun!

Please spread the word to any potential bakers that their specialties are always welcome!  Toiletries, socks, gloves are being collected too. 

Why do we go to these great efforts?  It is always for our guests.  We all are shocked at grocery store prices and inflation at every turn.  Your commitment to making the lives of others healthier and less challenging is spoken of by our guests frequently.  

Let a new season of kindness be born.

Thanks to all of you.

Cindy

Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022

 We begin our group’s 24th year THIS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 !

Erskine Presbyterian is located at 19 Pearl St. N, just north of King Street West.  The parking lot is reserved for church staff and programs that are finally in-person and busy again.  Please find parking on side streets and mind the time restrictions.  The church entrance door is up the ramp adjacent to the parking lot.  Ring the bell and we will come running to let you in.

Volunteers are required to self-monitor for symptoms before leaving home. If any symptoms develop or if contact is made with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, volunteers must advise their coordinator, me, immediately.

If you are new to our amazing group, please bring in a proof of vaccination. At least two vaccinations are required.  Booster shots are highly recommended. We require all volunteers to use masks and/or shields while on site.  All are provided or bring your own.

Upon arriving, each volunteer must complete the Hamilton Out of the Cold sign in sheet and provide contact information should contact tracing be required. The sign in sheet is in the Blue Room which was formally the Yellow Room.  The new paint colour is called “Bit of Heaven” - totally serious!!  Please record your name, phone number and time you arrived and before leaving, record the time. This will be helpful if we need to quickly contact trace. 

As before, wash your hands with soap in the small kitchen sink and report to duty.

Bring your own apron if you like. 

Kitchen cooking crew must don provided hair nets or full coverage hats.

My cell phone number is ... and I have had my ducts cleaned recently.)  Otherwise, call me if you are running late or cannot attend at the last minute. If you know of vacations or dates that you are unable to attend, please let me know, email, text or call, in advance so that replacements can be arranged.

As always, we welcome your input now or anytime. Our program is better because of you!  

See you this Wednesday, November 2.  

Cindy

April 15, 2022

 Dear Out of the Cold Volunteers and Supporters, 

 Break away from your Passover and Easter preparations for a well-deserved group ‘hug’ or shall I say ‘chag’ (a homonym of hug, which means ‘holiday’ in Hebrew.)

With your support, we were able to distribute 2,303 nourishing meals to 1270 guests over 11 weeks. By the end of the season, we were preparing 260 meals, sometimes even more. Each takeaway bag contained a meat (beef or chicken,) rice, potatoes or pasta, vegetables and/or salad, fruit, a granola bar, a home baked treat and often much more. The cost of proper packaging was well-worth keeping foods safely contained. We were told that guests often ate their meals immediately around the corner on a bench or on a curb. If anyone asked for more than one meal to save for later, they got it, no questions asked. Hadar’s Yitzhak Bronstein asks us to “consider the flow of our modern Seder. We begin by breaking matzah and putting away some pieces for later, recalling the food insecurity of a slave whose next meal is not guaranteed.”

Who is accessing our meals and why? 

More seniors. At first embarrassed, but a few minutes of kibbitzing and getting to know each other quickly solved that. How do you choose between food and heat, housing, transportation, masks, gloves and sanitizer? Plus, those ‘affordable’ traditional home meal delivery programs are financially inaccessible now.

Homeless or precariously housed individuals who do not have food preparation and storage sites.

 Low-income individuals who are unemployed or underemployed and cannot keep up with the increased cost of living. We hear it all the time! After expenses, $200 is what some people budget for food, PER MONTH. What to do? Skip meals, access food banks, frequent other meal providers like OOTC. 

Food prices have risen, increased, SOARED!  (…and if the product price didn’t go up, the contents’ size went down!)

For our group, the cost to feed a guest one takeaway meal: $2.90.

Average cost for one night: $613 !  (Yes, seriously $613, no joking!  613 = The number of Commandments, including mitzvot, that God prescribes.)

How do we do it?

• quarterly cheques from Homeless Cars (donate your car!)
• donations-in-kind from Lococo’s, Fortino’s Main West and friends like you.
• great pricing from Soldaat’s Poultry, Costco in St. Catherines and die-hard shopping for sales and bulk items!
• expert and experienced bakers who went about producing thousands of tasty cookies and muffins and never asked to be reimbursed a nickel or bag of flour or a litre of oil. We know how much our guests tasted your care for them.

What will Out of the Cold look like next season in November?

·      One sec, I’ll check my COVID calendar, crystal ball or The One Above.  All depends on Public Health, the virus and the comfort level of our guests, volunteers and host churches. 

·      If food prices stay as they are now, and if we return to in-person meals, purchasing excessive quantities of soup vegetables and salads of lettuce may be prohibitive so menus may change but rest assured, we will make them nutritious and delicious! 

·      Bags of hygiene (toiletries) products will be distributed at least once. If you’re travelling again, enjoy your holidays and come back with hotel toiletries and more. We had to purchase much of it this year. Guests were invited to take one bag or more if they wanted. Many guests declared they were not in need allowing others to take two. We were overjoyed when Hamilton Jewish Federation shared thousands of medical masks and sanitizers too.  Frequently guests received handfuls of masks in the takeaway bags. Whenever you’re feeling grateful, grab a 12-pack of soap, deodorant, shavers, lotion, shampoo, conditioner to get things rolling for next season!

·      Socks, scarves, hats and gloves! Oh my!  They are staples to our guests’ comfort.

·      With the availability of vaccines, we were able to welcome a few extra people per shift making it much less stressful. Hopefully we can re-employ those who could not join us since March 2020.

My heart is full of gratitude for all our volunteers who worked tirelessly and still maintained smiles behind their masks. The OOTC staff, Janice and Megan, the OOTC Board and Erskine Presbyterian provided guidance and generosity at every turn.  Absolutely inspirational!

Have a wonderful and safe Passover, Easter, Spring and Summer. If there are times you would like to reach out or drop off items, please do so.  November to March isn’t long enough to stay engaged :) We should always heed the call to do far more to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable people struggling to subsist.

Be well.     

Cindy

Friday, March 26, 2021

 Dear Tuesday turned to Wednesday OOTC volunteer. 

You may be an active volunteer, or furloughed or retired, or a member of the bakers (thank God, the flour shortage didn’t last.) You may be a side-lined cheerleader, financial supporter, as well as a mask-wearing, hand-scrubbing, huge-hearted and generous soul!

The one thing you are not is afraid. Did you know that the most common commandment God gives in the Bible is ‘al tirah’, do not be afraid? Fear could have stopped us but we had faith in ourselves, in others, in the world, in Life. Our mission is to feed people, COVID-19 or not! The thousands of takeaway bags overflowing with nutritious meals, snacks, and fruit was like the invention of bumper bowling. It was a surefire success!

Back in November, with the help of Sandy’s Erskine A team, we easily transitioned to a new church. Erskine Presbyterian and Cam, its facilities manager, greeted us like family. Reverend Mike reassured us with every lockdown, that as long as he was concerned, we were essential workers welcomed in His House!

The enormous weekly delivery of produce from Lococo’s was integrated into our meals but with so much left over, we were able to open a very successful free-for-the-taking curb-side Farmer’s Market. Guests were giddy with gratitude! Fortinos on Main St. W. continued to supply us with beautiful breads and Homeless Cars contributed TWICE this season much needed funds from the sale of donated cars. Please support all of these generous establishments.

Over the 2020/2021 season, we delivered curb-side 1,616 meals over 11 weeks, averaging 147 meals per week. On our last night, 202 meals went out along with a list of places to access Meals and Shelters and a survey for our guests to provide feedback. Questions included: Present locations and desired locations? Time of day convenient? Meal portions appropriate? Other desirable non-food items? As we enter summer, we will use our guests’ feedback to steer our budgets and efforts to re-open sites, remain with curbside or carefully structure an in-person meal, … who knows? Twelve months ago, we asked the same questions. Our Board, coordinators, church hosts and volunteers revised health and safety protocols more times than we can count, created new menus that could be executed with fewer cooks, streamlined packaging and outdoor pickup. Truthfully, for so many reasons, this year has felt differently gratifying. To be among people doing something so purposeful for others brings great satisfaction. The pandemic has affected all of us in more ways than we want to admit. Haven’t you given AND received care, attention and kindness throughout the last year? Many of our guests have openly shared their new struggles with us. With each open declaration, we create the humanity that this pandemic has brought to all of us.

One of our guests periodically dropped off small works of art in watercolour as a symbol of her thanks. One displayed a simple flower accompanied by the words: 

Thank you! Numbers 6:24-26. 

Opening my Tanakh, flipping the thin pages, I found its meaning... It is for all of you.

24 The Lord bless you and protect you!

25 The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!

26 The Lord bestow his favour upon you and grant you peace!

May you and your families experience the upcoming seasons of Passover, Easter and Spring in good health and may we all be together again soon.

Cindy

Monday, November 5, 2018

Dear HOOTC volunteers,

We are so looking forward to our next OOTC Season Opener, TOMORROW, Tuesday, November 6th.  First allow me to share some recent happenings and programme reminders.

Hundreds of people, Jewish and non-Jewish, faith-groups, Hamilton Councillors and neighbours showed their solidarity with us as a result of the terrible massacre of eleven Jewish people who were praying in the Tree of Life Synagogue, Pittsburgh, on Shabbat, October 27.   Monsignor Edward Sheridan from St. Mary's Church attended #ShowUpForShabbat at Beth Jacob Synagogue for services this past Saturday. We sat together through the service and I highlighted for him the meaning of many of our practices, and not only did he look great in a kippah, he was extremely engaged and delighted to meet so many of you, our Jewish OOTC volunteers, who call his St Mary's our church.

One never knows who you'll meet at a Ti-Cat game:  Tessa Mcfadzean, Assistant Director of Women's Services at Good Shepherd. Chitting and chatting, I learned that there are services offered there that we will can be better at promoting. She offered us some toiletries for our Chanukkah gift bags and then told me that our guest, Sandra, who was chronically homeless HAS been permanently housed for quite some time.  We have all worried about her for so long, not having seen her in her usual places.  This is very happy news.

Our thoughts are with Madeleine Levy, who for many years alongside her husband, Monte, made our OOTC program part of their lives.  The funeral for Monte will be held tomorrow at 11 am.  http://uhmc.ca/levy-monte/

The National Conference on Ending Homelessness begins today in Hamilton.  A two-page article ran in The Spec this past Saturday highlighting local issues with personal accounts of the complicated challenges.  Please, let them find real solutions..... fast !!

We look forward to new and returning volunteers, at St. Mary's Church.

Directions and Parking for St Mary’s Church, Mulberry and Park St.
Drive North along Bay St.  Cross over Cannon St.  Two streets later, turn right on Sheaffe. Cross over Park St.   Park in the lot to your right. See the gazebo at the far end? To the left and around the corner of the building, is a short staircase leading up to the Parish Hall kitchen. Knock and we’ll welcome you in.

Plenty of parking in the lot. Ask Cindy for a seasonal parking pass.


Reminders: 
Please remember this may be a rare, “home-cooked” meal for many of our guests. As in our own homes, we model the same hospitality, creating a welcoming ambiance, serving efficiently and generously.  Offer seconds when possible, as guest may be embarrassed to ask, and take your time removing dishes and cutlery.

As we may have new guests from the area, they may wish to “help”.  Diplomatically remind them that they are “guests” and as such, are expected only to enjoy the evening.

In chatting with guests, do so only in the dining room, preferably with a partner.  Enjoy brief “neutral” topics and circulate efficiently.  Be vigilant of our guests needs, but don't stand watching.
There is no secure volunteer room available in this location.  Coats can be stored in the kitchen cupboard.  It is advisable to leave valuables at home.

If you perceive a concern, contact Cindy, Norma or our very special reception/security person, Pieter.
Offer a ride home to a volunteer who is alone or walking.

If you are working the last shift, please stay until the end, helping with the final clean-up duties, which are less challenging if we have several hands to help.  When Cindy and Norma have “left the building”, you'll know we are done!

We always welcome feedback; don't hold back.

If you cannot make a Tuesday, please let me or Norma know.   norma.jack.mail@gmail.com ...... or text 905-966-5102

Thank you for helping host another Out of the Cold!  See you tomorrow.

Friday, August 24, 2018

Hello dear Tuesday night OOTC'ers! 

After the heat of this summer, you are likely looking forward to a cool fall and OOTC, right?
Have you been well?  Seen any of our guests throughout the summer?

I recently spoke with our guest Ralph who is managing but would manage much better if he had an electric scooter. Even used would be great. He has saved up a tidy sum which should be enough but the availability for used is limited. Anyone have any leads?  Otherwise, he's on the list for a government issued item but will need to wait approximately a year.

You have received a few requests from our incredible committee chairs to participate in HOOTC's Second Annual Ride for Refuge occurring on Sat. Sept 29, Shabbat Hol Hamo'ed (Sukkot.)  Although our Tuesday night group is self-funded, we still receive generous support from the overall HOOTC program. If you would like to sponsor a registered rider, PLEASE do so; https://rideforrefuge.org/home.  Personal participation is up to each of you; I'll be at synagogue that morning but I'll top up someone's efforts!

Hey, I was at St Mary's last week and, great news, Celso says we will be returning there for next season.  They're even putting a new roof on and returning the natural brick to it's original state - all for us!

The loss of the Basic Income Project is extremely disappointing, in my opinion.  If you agree, maybe you can join me in voicing your displeasure with your MPP.  A few of our guests who were so fortunate to be accepted to the program last year, shared how the additional dollars were already making huge differences in their lives. Jane said that she felt at odds about still coming for our dinners because she could afford groceries but she loved the socialization and all of us. Of course, I begged her to keep coming. Tim said that he would be able to replace a pair of running shoes.  As I was listening to the Aretha Franklin, z"l,  Tribute Channel the other day, the lyrics, below, to "A Brand New Me" seemed to encapsulate the above message and our program in general. 
Norma and I join together in wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year,

Shana Tova and you will be hearing from us again in October regarding our return for Season 19.

Shabbat Shalom,

Cindy



This is my same old coat
These are my same old shoes
It was the same old me
With a same old blues
Oh, then you touched my life
Just by holding my hand
And when I look in the mirror
I see a brand new girl, oh me
Just because of you

I've got the same old friends
And they've got the same old shins
I tell the same old jokes
And I get the same old grins
But now the joke is on you
It happened somehow with you
Everyday of my life
I'm as fresh as morning dew
Just because of you
I go to the same old places
I see the same old faces
I look at the same old sky
See it all with a brand new light
And I got me a brand new smile
Since I found you, baby
I got me a brand new star
Just because of you
Oh I feel good Just because of you, hey (just because of you) Just because of you, yes I do.

April 10, 2018

Chevre,

Was just thinking back to our many OOTC season endings. (Believe me, none of them have been cliff-hangers. We all know how they end: the guests and volunteers leave satisfied but SAD.) I am privileged to highlight a few of our more recent remarkable accomplishments in our Chai Year.

In March, our guest Tim joined our volunteers Sasha, Becky and Louise at Beth Jacob Synagogue to speak to about 20 religious school students, ages 11-13, which included those from Temple Anshe Sholom. Tim spoke of his own personal experience but also spoke for other guests who come to OOTC. On his disability pension, he can barely afford to replace clothing and rent a place at his rooming house. OOTC feeds him almost every night of the week the most nutritious meals offered free or almost free ANYWHERE in the city. He is treated kindly by everyone. When April comes around, he and others worry about what will come next. Twice he told the kids to stay in school and study really hard. Our volunteers spoke about their gratitude for the ‘good’ that has been theirs, even when they’ve had hardships and sorrows. Giving back is a natural way to lead their lives, Jewishly and otherwise. The students sat wide-eyed and still, asking questions respectfully and came to understand another component of tzedakah, justice. Yesterday, I received a text from the mother of two of those students, “We were wondering how to make a donation to OOTC.” After I replied, she wrote back, “Thank you. My kids asked my mother-in-law to donate to OOTC in lieu of their Afikoman present.” (For those who don’t know about the search for the hidden Passover Afikoman, children at the seder run around toppling pillows, looking between books, and in Great-Uncles’ pockets for that matzo which must be redeemed FOR MONEY in order for the seder to continue.) We should all be encouraged knowing that the next generation is already caring for people who are in need.

Speaking of that matzo, a sign of enslavement and our redemption, we realize that however meager it may be, we offer to share it. In so doing, we actually prize more the people in our lives and values we hold dear. Let those who hunger, come and eat. In feeding them, we nourish ourselves.

And we did, on the last night, nourish ourselves just a little bit, right?, on, as one guest described, a “Killer dinner!” Just imagine the expressions on the guests’ faces as they read the ‘DELI NIGHT’ menu board. Pea and barley soup, smoked meat sandwiches, pickles, knishes stuffed with potatoes and onions, French fries, coleslaw, quinoa with softened kale and sautéed mushrooms, bananas and clementines. (Couldn’t have done it without Waxy’s food truck and Suzi!)

Recently, on the walls of a diner, I read the following messages: “You can’t live a full life on an empty stomach.” “I’m sorry for what I said when I was hungry.”   “Good food=Good mood” They make perfect sense in this special OOTC world. Our guest Murray stressed: “PLEASE thank ALL the volunteers. They have to know what it means to many of us to who suffer from isolation. It is the shits. OOTC gives us a chance to be together, to have nice chats and socialize.”

Over 19 weeks, 2430 guests were fed, averaging 127 satisfied appetites per week. That is the highest since our 2011/2012 Season. It was also our most expensive season even factoring in the generous weekly donations of Fortinos’ bread and Lococo’s produce. It couldn’t have been accomplished without your serious commitment and our wonderful Coordinator of Volunteers, Norma. We love you, Norma!

So to all of you who took on the task and gave their time and energy with selfless desire, thank you. Please return again in the fall. Wishing you good health and happiness until we meet again.
Cindy

PS (ha, ha, not done yet!) I recovered a beautiful poem presented to our group on a final night. Keep it close to your heart.

Seated at worn table, earthly cares set aside,
One of many humbled shadows taking life’s woes in stride
Eyes downcast past angelic guests
For a respite of rest
Bowl of soup, a wedge of bread to be downed
But first, cradled like they were a jewel in a crown
Among forlorn smiles, part of the fold
Lingering for a while out of the cold.

March 14, 2018

Hi everyone!

Signs that Season 18 (Chai) is coming to an end -

1. The days are longer and brighter when we leave the church.

2. The guests, 137 last night, are getting teary-eyed and more effusive with their words of gratitude.

3. The pantry is almost empty except for those containers of cocoa and bags of mini-marshmallows that were intended for hot chocolate.

4. There is less and less food left over at the end of the night. Either the guests are in a seasonally reversed pre-hibernation mode or they are getting better at doing 'take-out.'  haha (Minestrone soups totally disappeared, as did roasted eggplant and peppers, caesar salads, fruit. Only one tray of lasagne remained.  Our cooks are THE most talented, chatty, efficient, motivated, joyful creators of dinner experiences anywhere!) BTW: Last night's announcement that we will be serving fish next Tuesday drew applause! 

5.  Mazal tov!  You've all passed your probational period!

6.  Sister Carole Anne stopped by for a final visit. Then 10 minutes later, Sister Nancy showed up.  They were stunned to see each other, apparently it was not planned but, bashert, meant to be.  As we sipped tea along with our afternoon crew, they thanked us again for our contribution. I responded that it's almost sinful how much fun we have. The Sisters welcomed that kind of confession.  Before they left, I sold both of them tickets to the Sing for Supper concert supporting OOTC. March 24 - 7:30 pm. Erskine Presbyterian Church, $10. Please join me and the Sisters for an amazing evening of music. Email asap to reserve tickets.

See you next Tuesday.

Cindy

January 31, 2018

Hi everyone,

We had some very distinguished guests show up for dinner last evening!  (They even made reservations.)

Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton Bishop Douglas Crosby and Monsignor Edward Sheridan of St Mary's.

Upon their arrival at 5 pm, I had the opportunity to answer the Bishop's questions, all of which were directed to the essence of our program.  I explained something that I had learned just the day before in my Torah class taught by Lanie Goldberg. The root of Ahava (Hebrew for love) is hava, which literally means to give. It also shares a root with the word, ahav, which means to nurture or to devote completely to another.  Meaningful relationships have mutual giving.  Love may focus on receiving, but ahava is all about giving; therefore, “ahava” is not an emotion but an action.  And our actions are what define us and their partnership is most appreciated.

Bishop Crosby said the blessing over the food and then he and Monsignor Sheridan of St Mary's remained throughout our meal service making their way around to the guests and every volunteer which must have worked up their appetites.  One young man at a table very casually pointed to two seats and invited them to join, which they did, enjoying Southern Fried Chicken, roasted red peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and mushrooms as well as a fresh tossed salad. After their experience and as they left for the evening, Bishop Crosby shared that MANY guests insist that our night consistently has the most delicious food and friendliest volunteers.  It seems he agreed, since our OOTC CEO, Glenn, spoke with Monsignor Sheridan this morning and also with The Bishop's Personal Assistant to thank them for their visit to St. Mary's. Monsignor Sheridan and Bishop Crosby were deeply touched by our efforts to serve the most vulnerable members of our community.

It was a memorable evening for everyone present. 

See you next Tuesday. Cindy

December 15, 2017

Chevre,

Did you hear the one about the couple who walk up to the security desk at Out of the Cold? They playfully yet formally state, “We have a reservation for two.” TRUE STORY!

Bread Server to Guest, “ Would you like whole wheat or white?” Guest, “Whole wheat please. White bread’s for pigeons.”
“Your volunteers do a better job than those at a 5-star restaurant.”
On the first really cold Tuesday, Dec 12, a guest requested gloves; however, we had just delivered our last pair. One of our volunteer overheard this. She ran to her car, grabbed her own gloves and presented them to a very grateful guest.

Since it is too difficult to join us, we took our guest, Ralph, a bag of toiletries and his annual Hannukkah dinner: minestrone soup, brisket, latkes and coleslaw – enough for a few meals. In is usual personal way, face to face, Ralph wishes all of you a Happy Holiday.
The Montreal Canadiennes’ fan, his eyes looking upward, a smile of contentment on his lips, wordlessly proclaimed our dinner Heaven sent.

This is what a professional, Paul Boles-Beaven of Union Square Hospitality Group says, “When people think about restaurants, they think most about service as a word, but what they mean is hospitality. Service is the technical delivery of a product to the end user. It’s the right food at the right time at the right temperature being given to the right person. Hospitality is how that transaction feels. You know that something can be done perfectly from a technical point of view and not feel very good. Hospitality is providing for someone else in such a way that they know that you are on their side. The combination of technically perfect service with warm, caring, intelligent, smiling, and friendly hospitality is a winning combination.”  AMEN, PAUL!

It was a special first night of Hanukkah. Thanks to everyone who donated toiletries, the students from Beth Jacob Synagogue’s Hebrew School who packaged them and a special shout out to the latke makers who kept the church from smelling like a shul!

There were 149 guests who will probably all be returning for more Hanukkah styled hospitality, next week. SO, PLEASE bring your own hanukkiah and candles for the full lighting. It will be so beautiful.

Last week, we were visited by our OOTC founder who never forgets to spread her encouragement and greetings to all, “May you be blessed for all you are doing for God-s beloved poor. Thank you for doing all with compassion and joy. Sister Carole Anne”

Finally, the person who taught us most about hakhnasat orchim, hospitality, was Gloria Silverman, z”l, the founder of OOTC’s “Jewish Night.” She taught that wherever there is suffering, it is the Jewish ethic to pursue justice passionately. Food was just one of her SPECIAL ways.

I always say that, for our guests, worries go down better with soup …. Soup that is created, simmered, seasoned, stirred, tasted, adjusted, ladled and delivered by people like you.

Chanukkah Sameach and Shabbat Shalom,

Cindy