Friendship Kitchen
This project was awarded a small grant from Embracing the Spirit Innovative Ministry program, and made a strong partnership with Food Matters Manitoba. It is an amazing project to bring in the spirit of diversity. We have embraced two participants who came to Canada through refugee sponsorship from persecution of sexual orientation and from the Syrian civil war. It has enabled people to experience a welcoming opportunity and relieve isolation. I am proud that we have created and rejuvenated new and old groups of volunteers in the wonderful mix of newcomers and non-newcomers from the church and other communities as the Friendship Kitchen has invited newcomer participants to be curious about the hosting community.
Ha Na reflects on how FRIENDSHIP KITCHEN STARTED. "I can still vividly picture my family venturing into Save-on-Foods to shop for supper, when we first arrived in Canada, in 2007. We were like many other newcomer families in Vancouver: Min-Goo pushing toddler Peace in the stroller, and me quickly searching through the food sections, mostly looking for any familiar items from my home country, Korea, especially vegetables. Many Korean dishes - side or main - are based on a great variety of Korean native greens. I knew that without them, the menus I could create for my family’s supper would be limited. I remember how often I sighed in grocery stores, thinking, “I can’t make Korean cuisine with just spinach, bell peppers, broccoli, squash, and cucumbers. I wish I could take a cooking class. What do Canadians make with these vegetables?”
Now, I recollect when I went out for lunch with my theological schoolmates, in my first year in Canada. We all sat down in a family restaurant. I was given a menu, and was immediately confused. I asked, “Can you guys recommend what to eat? And tell me, what are Canadian foods?”
They looked at each other and began to laugh, “Canadian food! Gosh, do we have ‘Canadian food’?
“I love Thai food.” One person chimed in. “It’s hard to say what is Canadian food, because what Canadians eat is Canadian food.”
Many years later, I certainly have become a better cook, as an experienced immigrant. I developed a great deal of skill in how to cook and finding the best places to shop. However, it took more than 10 years to develop these skills; I still daydream about taking a cooking class to learn how to make basic healthy salads or a school lunch that’s easy to prepare and nutritious. What’s the right way to cook quinoa? What are healthier options than just a ham and cheese sandwich for kids every day?" (Sermon from 2017)