Meals and community
A welcoming dining room in the Downtown Eastside
Anyone can sit down without a question asked. We serve 400 hot meals a day, five days a week, alongside food recovery supported by volunteers.
A place at the table, no questions asked
- 400 hot meals served each day
- About 12 tonnes rescued monthly
- 87 cents of every dollar goes to programs
Care in action
Care that nourishes and connects
Daily community meals
Hot meals are served in a dining room where anyone can sit down without a question asked.
Food recovery
Surplus food from local grocers and wholesalers is rescued for community use.
A volunteer-powered kitchen
120 volunteers power the kitchen alongside a staff of six.
Reach measured in meals and stewardship
Voices from the community
What a place at the table can mean
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“I came for a meal and stayed for the cooking program. Six months later I’m working a line downtown and I still volunteer Tuesdays.”
Marcus
Program graduate
“Our company sponsors the Wednesday dinner. The reports show us exactly where every dollar went, which is why we keep doing it.”
Helen Yu
Corporate partner
“It’s the one place in the neighbourhood where nobody asks why you’re there.”
A regular guest
Downtown Eastside
Dignity, made tangible
Care grounded in welcome and accountability
Harbourlight Community Kitchen is a registered charity founded in 2009. Its audited financials are published every year.
The commitments behind the work
Welcome without conditions
Anyone can sit down for a meal without being asked why.
Clear accountability
Audited financials are published every year.
Less food wasted
Food recovery connects surplus from local suppliers with community meals.
Keep a place
Become a monthly Table Keeper
Monthly Table Keepers help sustain community meals and food recovery. Individual donations, two foundation grants, and the annual harvest gala also support the work.