# Our story

> How a church-basement soup night became a neighbourhood food collective.

*Our story*

## It started with one pot of soup.

In 2014, six neighbours cooked dinner for anyone who came. Forty people did.

We still believe food is best shared. Common Table is not a charity *for* the neighbourhood so much as *of* it: most of our volunteers once came for a meal, and many still do.

Everything we run is free, no questions asked, no forms to fill in at the door.

*Milestones*

## Ten years, one table

### First soup night

2014

Forty guests in a church basement.

### The pantry opens

2017

Groceries twice a week, choose-your-own.

### Grow club

2021

A schoolyard becomes a garden.

### Our own kitchen

2025

A home on Mercer Lane, thanks to 900 donors.

## The people who keep the lights on

Five staff, three hundred volunteers.

### Ruth Amankwah

Executive director

![Ruth Amankwah](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/media/team-ruth.svg)

### Jonas Feld

Kitchen lead

![Jonas Feld](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/media/team-jonas.svg)

### Mei Tanaka

Volunteer coordinator

![Mei Tanaka](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/media/team-mei.svg)

### Luis Ortega

Grow club gardener

![Luis Ortega](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/media/team-luis.svg)

### Hannah Roe

Partnerships

![Hannah Roe](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/media/team-hannah.svg)

### Grace Yu

Pantry manager

![Grace Yu](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/media/team-grace.svg)

## With thanks to our partners

- ![Greenway Grocers](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/media/partner-1.svg)
- ![Eastside Bakery](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/media/partner-2.svg)
- ![Lakeview School](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/media/partner-3.svg)
- ![City Harvest Co](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/media/partner-4.svg)
- ![Parkdale Market](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/media/partner-5.svg)

## Pull up a chair.

Volunteer, donate, or just come for dinner.

[Volunteer](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/volunteer) · [Donate](https://t-charity.clearcms.app/donate)