08 Mar UBs in Canada – Spaghetti Every Week

The following story is about the Living Hope UB church in our Canadian conference. The story appeared in the Shoreline Beacon of Port Elgin, Ontario, on January 25.
What started out as a modest spaghetti dinner shared with the community, has blossomed into one of the biggest showings of community spirit in Saugeen Shores, with more than 150 people turning out each week.

The Living Hope Christian Centre in Maple Square Mall welcomes locals from all denominations to their Spaghetti Dinner every Monday afternoon.
Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with guests getting their choice of spaghetti and meat sauce, soup, salad, coffee, tea or juice and a dessert. Admission is by donation: about $2 or $3 per person is suggested. There are also door prizes and music.
The weekly event is designed to get folks out during the winter months to socialize and meet new people.
“Our main purpose is to share the love of God with the community through acts of kindness,” said Living Hope Pastor Bob Cotie.
The event is in its fifth year and has steadily grown to include almost 70 volunteers. Teams of 10 to 12 volunteers dedicate the majority of their Mondays to cooking the pasta and ensuring the food is ready for eager eaters when the dinner bell sounds at 5 p.m.
“They all just want to be there for people,” he said. “They just love a chance to be able to give back to other people.”
Through the many volunteers and dozens of smiling faces that have passed through, Cotie said he’s developed more friendships at this event than he had in the 10 years he’s live in the area.
On an average Monday, volunteers will cook 12 packages of spaghetti, 36 cans of tomato sauce, eight pounds of ground beef, and large quantities of soups, salads, and other items. Many of these items are donated by various individuals, churches and some corporate donations.
During the Christmas dinner, the centre saw about 240 attend, the largest yet. “With the numbers that have been showing, it kind of blows us away,” he said. But the dinner is not to be mistaken as an event for the poor, or less fortunate, said Cotie. Anyone is welcome. “It’s amazing to see the community come together from all walks of life,” he said.