Seva Kitchen Canada has served Sunday meals at Allan Gardens for more than 17 years
A volunteer-run group that began as a temporary neighbourhood project now feeds people every Sunday.
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Every Sunday at noon, volunteers with Seva Kitchen Canada set up at Allan Gardens in downtown Toronto and serve hot meals until the food runs out. Sometimes there are treats, gifts or warm clothing alongside.
The volunteer-run initiative receives no funding and relies on volunteers' time and personal contributions. Its founder and volunteer, Jaswinder Khosa, says it began 17 years ago as a temporary project in the neighbourhood, when participants started sharing food and giving warm clothing to residents. "When the project was over and we were packing up, some of them started crying. We decided that we would come here every Sunday."
Regular attendee Jay says the meals bring financial relief as grocery costs rise. Statistics Canada reported grocery prices up 1.7 per cent in September 2026 from a year earlier, while overall inflation was 3.1 per cent. "It's very important that all the groups that give out food are around, especially the ones that do it in the park, because we don't always have the access to go into the buildings, especially in the winter times when you need more calories," Jay said.
Volunteer Ishaan Singh has driven in from Barrie every Sunday for eight years. "I would be missing out on a lot if I stopped coming." Jay said the weekly meetings have turned strangers into friends in a part of downtown where people are often wary of talking to each other.
