A Montreal-based charity is shining a spotlight on a group of chefs whose work is often overlooked — those who cook in shelters for the unhoused.
On International Chef’s Day, Bread and Beyond held an event Monday to recognize what it calls the “unsung heroes” of the culinary world — the cooks who provide daily meals in community shelters, often working with limited resources and tight budgets.
Steve Townsend has been a chef for 35 years. For the past five, he’s been cooking at the Hadley Community Shelter.
“I used to own a restaurant. I’d go home and complain every day,” Townsend told Global News in an interview. “Now I go home with feel-good stories. This is probably the most fun I’ve had as a chef in my entire life.”
Townsend said that while the work comes with challenges — from limited ingredients to unpredictable menus — the creative problem-solving and direct impact on people’s lives make it deeply rewarding.
“It’s a challenge every day, instead of the monotony of doing the same menu over and over again,” he said.
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Bread and Beyond, which supplies sandwiches to eight homeless shelters across the city, used the day to bring together 80 volunteers. In one afternoon, they produced 3,000 sandwiches, the equivalent of a week’s worth of food, for shelters in need.
“This is probably going to be the one meal this person will have in a long time,” said volunteer Sushmeet Sunger. “So when you make that sandwich, keep that in mind.”
The organization’s director, Kirstie Jagoe, said chefs working in shelters do more than just cook — they provide consistency, care, and hope.
“They do incredible work to provide this food to people,” she said. “When you see it, it’s not just giving food — it’s giving hope. It’s sharing.”
Other advocates said these chefs often show remarkable creativity, crafting nutritious meals out of whatever donations come in on any given day.
“They are some of the most creative chefs,” said Lyndsi Daubricourt of La Tablée des Chefs. “They’re working with whatever vegetables or proteins they receive, and still finding ways to nourish people.”
Jagoe said for many shelter clients, the chef may be the only person who offers a hot meal and a kind word in a day.
“We should thank them every day,” Daubricourt added. “But if we can take this day to give them an extra special shoutout, it’s the least we can do.”
