It was 1982, and Kaireen Crichton was a volunteer bookkeeper at Christ the King Catholic Church in downtown Sudbury.
With layoffs at local mining companies, and the city's economy suffering, many had fallen on hard times. People often showed up at the church, asking for food.
“They made sandwiches and handed them out,” said Crichton, now 92. “I thought 'That's just not the way to treat people who are hungry.' I felt there should be some place to offer them some hospitality, to invite them in.”
The Salvation Army looked after its clients, she said, but at the time, there was no open-door soup kitchen.
Crichton spoke to Father Brian McKee, who was in charge of the Catholic Charities used clothing store on Minto Street. He offered her a room at the back of the store to start a soup kitchen.
“I started just bringing things from home and making soup and sandwiches,” she said. “And my goodness, I had no idea the numbers of people that would come once we opened the door.”
Because she had no budget, she solicited donations from grocery stores, and sent her husband Roger to pick them up.
The setup was so makeshift, she lived in fear the health inspector would shut her down, but he never did.
“I was concerned with individuals, offering them a place that was non-threatening,” Crichton said. “We always called them our guests, and they were treated hopefully in the way you'd treat a guest — the best you could provide, every day.”
That was the humble beginning of the Blue Door Soup Kitchen, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.
About that blue door — Crichton painted the soup kitchen's door blue the first week it opened.
“That's the story about my faith in God and my love of Jesus and the mother Mary,” she said. “The colour blue symbolizes Mary. She's usually depicted in a blue gown or a blue stole. We took her as our champion and painted the door blue.”
The Blue Door Soup Kitchen went on to occupy several downtown buildings. Since 2005, it has been in the purpose-built Samaritan Centre on Elgin Street along with the Elgin Street Mission.
On the agency's 35th anniversary, Crichton said she's not happy there's still a need for a soup kitchen in Greater Sudbury, of course, but since there is, she's grateful to those who make sure it still functions.
“It takes a lot of people, a lot of commitment to do this, and you have to do it with the right attitude, the right love of individuals,” Crichton said. “I'm very grateful for the way things are carrying on.”
Today, the Blue Door Soup Kitchen is run by Crichton's nephew, Bill Hickey, the agency's operations manager. He said he's glad to continue his family's legacy.
“It's mind-boggling how you start with nothing and you build what we have now,” he said.
The soup kitchen's 50 volunteers prepare and serve lunch five days a week for up to 250 people a day. Breakfast and supper are served next door at the Mission — the two agencies complement each other.
Food comes from either the Sudbury Food Bank or donations from stores such as Costco or Smith's Markets.
The Blue Door Soup Kitchen has become part of the “fabric of the community,” said Marc Leduc, president of the agency's board.
“The soup kitchen wouldn't have lasted 35 years if it didn't have support from the community,” he said. “The community has to give itself a pat on the back for making it viable for all these years.”
A couple of events in celebration of the Blue Door Soup Kitchen's 35th anniversary are coming up this month.
The first is a fundraising gala at 5:30 p.m. on May 25 at Natura on Kelly Lake Road. Tickets are $125 each, and can be purchased by emailing Lisa Bonin at [email protected].
The next day, on May 26, there will be a barbecue at the Blue Door Soup Kitchen from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Crichtons are expected to attend the event, as well as Mayor Brian Bigger.
If you'd like to volunteer for or donate to the Blue Door Soup Kitchen, learn more on the organization's website.
