Community Connections: One Sandwich at a Time

Being furloughed from his role as a supplier to the meetings and event industry has given Darryl Nielsen the time to continue hospitality in a different way.

What began as making sandwiches to support a local organization has become a passion project for him. Shortly after starting to make sandwiches and recognizing the growing need, his home became a hub for the community of volunteers. A place where sandwiches could be dropped off, transferred into coolers with ice packs, and delivered to missions throughout the neighbourhood.

For the homeless and food insecure, a simple sandwich provides much needed sustenance and might be the only meal someone has in a day.

Darryl used his son’s bike trailer to start delivering sandwiches to St. John the Compassionate Mission. As word began to spread, more volunteers joined the project, and as a result more missions and organizations were added to the delivery. Club Sandwich is fortunate to have some benefactors who contribute financially, giving volunteers the option to access funds to purchase groceries for the sandwiches.

With more than 400 volunteers, the group was recently offered a permanent space at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto. MCC Toronto is vibrant, inclusive, and progressive and adhere to a fierce commitment to Human Rights work, inspires to transform lives and transform the world. With the location change, sandwich ingredients are being bought in bulk and volunteers now have access to a kitchen where they can make sandwiches. 

They are now averaging 1,400 sandwiches a week and support the following organizations: St. John the Compassionate Mission, Good Shepherd, Mustard Seed of Fontbonne Ministries, Eastview Community Centre (Seniors Home Delivery), St. Luke’s United Church, and the Danforth Church.

With new space and a growing call for help, consistent funds are needed so that Club Sandwich can continue to support and perhaps add to the organizations. Their mission – we help ‘sandwich’ the meal gap for the homeless and food insecure.

He left me with these words from John Lennon:

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
Maybe some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

If you are interested in supporting or volunteering, please contact Darryl via email at darryl@managingeventuality.com.

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