Island Angels provide food and emotional support

By Janna MacGregor

It's a quiet afternoon at Charlottetown's Upper Room Angels, but as an organization that provides free meals to whomever drops in, lunchtime can be hurried and hectic.

For Angel's founder and co-chair Nancy Barrett, a day's work means providing food for someone without, the focus of a 15-year effort which fills more than 14, 000 plates annually.

When she first became involved 10 years ago, Barrett was struck by what she perceived to be a growing number of Charlottetown residents struggling to feed themselves and their families.

"There were a lot of newspaper articles at the time asking for food,² she recalls. "And I thought, 'What can I do? Do I give food or money--would that be the right thing? My $52 isn't going to do it, but maybe others could do the same.' "

Thus began the current incarnation of the Upper Room Angels, located at 200 Richmond Street in Charlottetown and open Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and Monday, Wednesday and Friday 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. With the help of the local food bank and the charity of more than 1,200 "angels" who donate the required contribution of $52 during annual fundraisers, Barrett is confident that this year's goal of $60,000 will be met.

"Angels is our main fundraiser," says Barrett. "It always starts the day after Labour Day and goes until Christmas, but many people continue to donate throughout the year."

Kitchen manager Judy Campbell, who has been co-ordinating menus and meals for the past 15 years, says the organization is crucial to the lives of many, providing hot, nutritious meals while offering an outreach of kindness and support.

"We have our regular clients," she explains, the majority of which are single people in the midst of financial problems. "You get to know them, their life stories--some make appointments with me just as a confidant."

But Campbell says other customers have become familiar faces simply because they're lonely. "Those people usually come in and leave some money in the donation box because they can afford a meal," she says.

For the moment, Campbell is busy making preparations for the next meal, slicing up some fresh tomatoes that are destined to show up on this evening's dinner menu. During the harvest season, she says the kitchen is often bestowed with an abundance of fresh produce, generously donated by local gardeners.

"I really enjoy my job," she adds quickly, with a smile that suggests the Upper Room Angels is as much about uniting the community as it is about free meals.

Anyone interested in becoming an angel can do so by sending $52 to:

The Upper Room Angels P.O. Box 1177 Dept. A, Charlottetown P.E.I. C1A 7M8