Last night I had the pleasure of joining the folks of the Shoelace Collective at their monthly community dinner. Gathered around the warmth of the Woodbine Heights Baptist Church kitchen, many hands helped to make a delicious meal (well, really it was four or five meals, given the variety) for the community to enjoy.

The result was a genuine coming together of diverse community members, proverbially breaking bread together. There was an incredible warmth coming not only from the oven in the kitchen but from the group that had gathered. I have never felt so immediately welcomed and at home in a community gathering. I wish I had brought my camera to show the warmth in the crowd, instead I’ll share a photo of Marnie (of Shoelace) and her daughter preparing pears at our preserving workshop last fall.

The meal was exceptional, but Shoelace doesn’t stop there. Soon after they started, they realized that the conversations that started bubbling after the dinner held their own spirit of community-building. Now, each dinner has a designated topic and a speaker to help spark some ideas.

Last night’s topic was food security, and I was honoured to be the invited guest. Since the Shoelace Collective heads up the East York Hub of Not Far From The Tree (with Marnie at the head), I took the opportunity to tell the story of fruit picking in the city and how we hope this can help achieve food security on a really local level. I figured this might open up conversation about food security on a broader level, but the group happily chatted about fruit all night. I thought Marnie and I were maybe the only two who could do that!

I knew Marnie was on to something when she told me about Shoelace and her hopes to start up a fruit picking program. But seeing Shoelace in action with my own eyes, and getting to know the enthusiastic community members who will see it through have provided such inspiration.

(If you’re looking to volunteer with the Shoelace Collective, send them a note at shoelace@gmail.com. And if you want to volunteer with the East York Hub of NFFTT, contact marnie@notfarfromthetree.org.)