You’d have to go back circa 2017 with the Arnprior Committee on Poverty and Homelessness to find the origins of “The Longer Table”- and the needs expressed at a public gathering of about 200 individuals in November of 2019.
That’s Jennifer McGuire, the effervescent chairperson of the group. She says currently The Longer Table has a singular mission.
The frozen dinners are currently supplied to Arnprior and District Food Bank clientele- but Jennifer says they are talking to local paramedics, and to Teachers Against Poverty as potential allies to help grow the Longer Table’s reach.
Whereas weekly cooking sessions would be ideal, production is currently on an “as available” basis; in fact, volunteers are needed for a session (at Riverstone Church) this Saturday.
Jennifer McGuire says it’s not a case of “too many cooks spoil the broth”; rather there’s no cooking space big enough to accommodate all of the members who want to be involved.
The cadre ranges from seasoned chefs to neophytes burning boiled water.
Jennifer says if you’d like to get involved, that’s easy!
Of course, the more projects The Longer Table gets involved with, the busier its volunteers will be.
By Rick Stow