Less than 5kms away from The Stop’s 1884 Davenport Rd. site, where over 1,000 meals on average are served each week to the West Toronto community, lies Scaramouche, one of Toronto’s fine dining establishments. Scaramouche and The Stop have a longstanding relationship of collaboration that centers around bringing people together through food, something we have both been doing for over 40 years in Toronto.
The collaboration began over a decade ago, when Scaramouche began hosting a yearly dinner in benefit of The Stop at their restaurant. These days, the relationship has expanded with the presence of Carl Korte, partner, and Patrick DiTomasso, retired maitre d’, being staples around The Stop’s kitchen and drop-in centres.
Carl has been leveraging his experience in the restaurant business of over 40 years at our Wychwood Open Doors drop-in by welcoming and serving lunch to our community members every Wednesday since March 2023.
Patrick started volunteering at the Stop in September of 2023. He helps our chefs to prepare lunch at our 1884 Davenport location on Mondays, and on Fridays he also helps out serving food in the Drop-in.
We spoke to Carl and Patrick about volunteering at The Stop and what they have learned from these experiences.
Carl, what brought you to volunteer at The Stop?
Carl: We have been supporters and donors for many years. Now that I have more free time, I’m happy to lend my energy assisting with food service at The Stop. It’s nice to put some people contact into the mix!
Can you share a moment that stands out from your time volunteering at The Stop?
Carl: Meeting people, clients and other volunteers, and building relationships over the past year plus has been very rewarding…and enlightening.
What do you wish your patrons to know about the work that goes on at The Stop and our community?
Carl: To be more aware of how important The Stop’s services are to our community, and through a presence at Scaramouche, to have an opportunity to lend support.
Patrick, what brought you to volunteer at The Stop?
Patrick: After 25 years, in June of 2023 I retired from Scaramouche Restaurant as the Maitre D’ of the Pasta Bar & Grill. I decided the next chapter of my life would involve giving back to the Toronto community as much as I could and what better way than through food.
I remember the orientation given to me by Helena Pamic (Senior Volunteer Coordinator). What stood out the most was the SIMPLE MATH of living in Toronto. After paying rent and monthly bills a lot of our Toronto friends do not have enough money to buy healthy food at an affordable price. This shocked me, because I always felt eating a healthy meal shouldn’t be a privilege but a human right!
Can you share a moment that stands out from your time volunteering at The Stop?
Patrick: After my first shift in the kitchen, I can remember asking Chef Yvonne Dean “Is every lunch we make this healthy?”, she simply answered “yes, we try our hardest to produce a healthy meal everyday with the freshest ingredients we can get”. I knew then and there I was in the right place.
I am now known as the “Egg Man” on Fridays, making and then serving scrambled eggs to the 150 guests that use the Drop-In Breakfast Program. There is always such genuine gratitude and thanks conveyed to us every time we serve a meal. The good feeling that this gives me makes it all worthwhile.
What do you wish your patrons to know about the work that goes on at The Stop and our community?
Patrick: The Stop is not just a food bank, it is the heart of West Toronto that feeds, educates and is a safe place for the people that live in the surrounding neighborhoods.
I am so proud to be part of this well needed community outreach program.
Please give in any way you can!
You too can get involved at The Stop. Learn more about our volunteer program here. Or donate here if you’d like to contribute to the important work of feeding our community.