ABOUT OUR FOOD PILLAR.

Food Services

At SUMS Place Society, we provide nutritious meals that nourish the body and restore energy as our guests move towards stability, independence, and hope for the future.

— OUR FOOD PHILOSOPHY

Our Kitchen


Three meals a day, every day, for every guest staying with us — cooked from seasonal, dietician-approved menus and served with care.

181,000+

MEALS SERVED IN 2025

145,299+

LBS. OF DONATED FOOD
FROM THE COMMUNITY

  • SUMS Place got its start in 1995 as a small community kitchen, run out of a church basement by a group of dedicated Christian women who simply wanted to make sure their neighbours had a hot meal.

    Three decades later, we're still guided by that same purpose. From shelter meals to our To-Go program, everything we make in the kitchen today traces back to those original roots: nutritious food, prepared with care, for everyone who needs it, so no one in our community goes hungry.

How it works...


Every guest who stays with us receives three meals a day, prepared in our kitchen and delivered to our additional shelter sites: The Olive Branch & The Cove. We're moving toward fully dietician-approved, seasonal menus — built by our kitchen team and the volunteer cooking groups who help serve them.


Donations fund a portion of shelter meals — weekly and monthly donors fill in what our budget can't cover.

Meals are prepared in the SUMS kitchen and delivered daily to our other 2 shelters.

Cooking groups and volunteers are welcome to join meal prep and service.

Bring your group into our kitchen!


We're always looking for groups who'd like to come cook alongside our team. This is a hands-on way to be part of the 181,000+ meals we serve each year.


Contact us at volunteer@sumsplace.ca to get involved today!

To-Go Meals Program


A donor-funded, low-barrier and volunteer-run program open to anyone in our community.


Serving Times


Breakfast

Lunch


8:30am — 9:30am

12:30pm — 1:30pm


Why just breakfast & lunch? Nightshift serves dinner — we work together with community partners so guests are supported around the clock.

26,744

TO-GO COMMUNITY MEALS
SERVED IN 2025

Food security for everyone.

An estimated 1 in 4 Canadians struggle with food security — and it isn't limited to people experiencing homelessness. Many of our neighbours who are housed still need extra support to get by. Our To-Go Meals Program meets people at whatever stage they're at, offering consistent nutrition so they can focus on moving forward in other parts of their lives.

How Can You Help?

    • Donate fresh, frozen, or non-perishable food to support our To-Go Meals Program

    • High need items include:

      • Individually packaged snacks

      • Juice boxes

      • Sandwich ingredients

      • Other grab-and-go foods

    • Organizations with a commercial kitchen, businesses and restaurants can donate prepared food such as:

      • Pizza

      • Baked goods

      • Other meals & food items

    • Prepared or larger food donations must be arranged in advance to ensure we can safely receive, store, and distribute them.

    • Bring your church, workplace, community group, school, or team together to support our meal program.

    • Groups can help prepare meals, make sandwiches, package food, or serve meals.

    • Opportunities may be available to cook in the SUMS Place Kitchen, including evening sandwich-making sessions.

    • Groups with access to a commercial kitchen can also prepare food off-site in coordination with our Food Services team.

    Contact foodservices@sumsplace.ca to discuss a group volunteer opportunity.

  • Create care packages to provide practical food support and other necessities to our community in need.

    Suggested items include:

    • Bottled water

    • Juice boxes

    • Individually packaged snacks

    • Granola bars

    • Crackers

    • Other easy-to-carry foods

    Care packages should be:

    • Unopened

    • Individually packaged

    • Shelf-stable whenever possible

    This is a great hands-on project for schools, workplaces, churches, families, and community groups!

  • We welcome partnerships with:

    • Restaurants

    • Grocery stores

    • Food producers

    • Businesses

    • Churches

    • Community organizations

    Opportunities can include:

    • Recurring food donations

    • Sponsored meals

    • Ingredient support

    • Volunteer cooking teams

    • Financial sponsorships to fund our To-Go meals program

    Have another idea? We’d love to explore creative ways to work together! Contact foodservices@sumsplace.ca to start a conversation today.