Hospitality - April 2024 Newsletter
I love this quote by Rosaria Butterfield: “Table fellowship [meaning sharing a table] that depends on identity sameness banks on a false understanding of personhood.”
What she’s saying here is that we don’t have to agree with someone, like someone, or relate to someone to be able to share a meal with them. Food is a universal language and it is best enjoyed in ‘conversation’ with someone else where barriers can be broken down, discussions had, and other perspectives considered.
There are many different ‘tables’ we might get to enjoy in a day. The breakfast table, where the excitement of the day is still ahead and the conversation might be about plans, schedules, or the promise of a new day. The lunch table, where we have an opportunity to invest in a relationship with a colleague or classmate, or simply take a break from our morning rush. The dinner table, where we might catch up with friends or family, turn our attention away from work, and rest from our burdens with the comfort of a good meal.
At each of those tables, we have choices to make – and not just in the menu. We can extend our table to welcome others. We can share about our values and what’s important to us, and learn from others. Beyond comments on the meal, we can also offer up relationship.
You might call this hospitality – which loosely translates to ‘loving the stranger’ and has the same root word as hospital. Caring for others. Providing for their needs.
At Lionhearts, we want to see all people living with human dignity, and food and relationship building are key to this. It’s why The Embassy isn’t just a place to drop in and get a meal – it’s a warm place with music and activity. The shelter we operate in partnership with Kingston Street Mission serves food on fine china – why? Because it creates a welcoming atmosphere.
Why is that atmosphere important? Canadians, and people in many western nations, are lonely. Last year, the National Institute on Ageing found 58 per cent of Canadians 50 and older have experienced loneliness, while 40 per cent are socially isolated. Last year the World Health Organization designated loneliness as a "global public health concern”, and some health experts warn loneliness is as bad for you as smoking tobacco.
We can do a lot – especially with your support – to help combat loneliness among those we serve. But we cannot help everybody. So, I have a challenge for you. Welcome a stranger. Practice hospitality. You have, roughly, three opportunities a day (more if you enjoy a few snacks during the day – guilty!). Can I challenge you to put hospitality into practice one time this week?
You’ll be glad you did.
Travis Blackmore
Founder and CEO, Lionhearts Inc.
Thank you Kingston Kinsmen!
Thank you to the Kinsmen Club of Kingston for donating $30,000 to provide an essential protein and fresh produce in every one of our Kingston Student Food Boxes! This generous donation will make a significant impact in ensuring that our community's students have access to nutritious food. Thank you!
Thank you Atlético Ottawa
Thank you to everyone who came out to yesterday’s Atlético Ottawa game! The team asked their fans to bring non-perishable food items for us to redistribute to local food cupboards, and they also donated $5 from each ticket to us! Learn more about the fundraiser in this team video.