St. Joe’s Supper Table staff excited about youth’s fundraising endeavour

Jumol Royes

Louis Jacques is a passionate and proactive young person who identified a social issue and took meaningful action to address it.  The 17-year-old high school student is currently running a total distance of 1,400 kilometres, between Ottawa and Prince Edward Island (PEI), to raise money for St. Joe’s Supper Table, a low-barrier food bank and community meal program in Sandy Hill.

St. Joe’s Supper Table is an inner-city operation located between the University of Ottawa and the ByWard Market and close to several shelters for people experiencing homelessness. The Supper Table supports individuals in Sandy Hill who are in need of food, regardless of gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, religion, age, culture, social or economic status. The meal service operates Monday through Friday, with coffee and sandwiches served in the morning and dinner served in the evening. The food bank serves individuals by appointment only and is hosted at two locations each week: St. Joseph’s Parish on Thursday and Strathcona Heights on Friday.

Louis has been a volunteer during the Wednesday evening dinner service since January 2024. He credits his father for getting him involved. “My father was the catalyst for me joining the Supper Table team,” shares Louis. “He had been volunteering before me and found it to be very fulfilling. He convinced me to come along for one week, and I loved it.”

The inspiration to create the Run For Your Supper fundraiser came to Louis while volunteering. “I saw a need for more money and resources for our food bank and meal program in Sandy Hill, and the need is significant,” he explains. “Running to PEI will be a challenge, but I enjoy long-distance running. I hope to use my run to help people in Sandy Hill and to raise awareness of food insecurity nationally.”

An avid runner, Louis is running 40 marathons, in stages, until he reaches the eastern tip of PEI. He started his fundraising run in early April, with his father chauffeuring to different locations on weekends. He anticipates completing the journey by the end of August. His goal is to raise $15,000.

St. Joe’s Supper Table relies on financial and in-kind donations to support its operations amid increasing demand for services. According to the Supper Table’s manager, Kathleen Strader, there was a 60 per cent increase in new registrations from 2023 to 2024, and another 60 per cent increase from 2024 into 2025. The proceeds from Run For Your Supper will boost the food bank’s purchasing power and allow it to buy more of the foods that people want.

For Louis, it’s all about taking care of vulnerable community members. “I’m in a position to succeed and I should take advantage of my luck,” he said in a recent interview. “I have a duty to these people to make sure that they get to eat, too.”

To donate to Run For Your Supper and support St. Joe’s Supper Table visit: www.zeffy.com/en-CA/fundraising/run-for-your-supper.