For three straight winters, Carla Wijesundera has navigated the pre-dawn darkness of Bradford’s streets. The 53-year-old mother of two isn’t an early riser by nature, but her commitment to the Out of the Cold Café outweighs her desire for sleep.
“Some mornings it’s minus twenty and still dark when I start loading my car,” Wijesundera told me last Tuesday, as she arranged soup containers in the basement kitchen of St. Mary’s Anglican Church. “But then you see someone’s face light up over something as simple as a hot cup of coffee, and suddenly the cold doesn’t matter much.”
The Out of the Cold Café began as a modest weekend initiative in 2020, offering coffee and sandwiches to Bradford’s vulnerable population. Today, it operates five days a week, serving approximately 60 people daily—a number that community workers say reflects growing housing insecurity in Simcoe County.
Bradford, like many communities within commuting distance of Toronto, has seen housing costs climb dramatically. According to Statistics Canada’s latest housing assessment, rental prices in the region have increased 37% since 2019, while social assistance rates have remained largely stagnant.
“We’re seeing more working people now,” explains Reverend Jim Cowan, whose church provides the space for the program. “Folks with jobs who just can’t stretch their paycheques far enough to cover both rent and groceries. The face of need is changing.”
The café operates through a network of 23 volunteers who work in rotation. Their efforts are supplemented by donations from local businesses, including Bradford Greenhouses, which provides seasonal produce, and The Cookhouse Restaurant, which contributes soup weekly.
Frank Bernardo, owner of The Cookhouse, believes community support is simply good citizenship. “My parents came to Canada with nothing. Someone helped them, and now we help others. That’s how community is supposed to work,” he said.
What distinguishes the Out of the Cold Café from similar programs is its emphasis on dignity and connection. Tables are covered with cloths. Volunteers serve guests rather than having them line up. Fresh flowers, donated by local florists, brighten each table.
“It’s about more than food,” Wijesundera insists. “For some people, this might be their only real conversation of the day. We know everyone’s name. We remember their stories. Some of our regulars have become volunteers themselves.”
One such person is Derrick Johnson, 46, who first came to the café in 2021 after losing his job as a warehouse worker. Now employed part-time and housed, Johnson returns weekly to help serve others.
“When I was at my lowest, people here treated me like I mattered,” Johnson says, arranging muffins on a tray. “They didn’t just feed me—they remembered my birthday, helped me with job applications. So now I show up for others. That’s how healing works.”
The program has attracted attention from neighboring communities looking to establish similar initiatives. Bradford Mayor James Leduc recently acknowledged the café’s contribution during a council meeting focused on community services.
“What these volunteers have built represents the best of our town,” Leduc stated. “They identified a need and created a solution that preserves dignity while addressing real hunger.”
York Region Social Services estimates that approximately 320 individuals in Bradford experience some form of housing insecurity, with about 85 considered chronically homeless. These numbers have increased since the pandemic, reflecting broader economic pressures and the housing affordability crisis.
Program coordinator Anita Sharma emphasizes that while the café meets immediate needs, systemic solutions require policy changes. “We’re doing what we can with the resources we have, but we need affordable housing, better mental health supports, and living wages,” she explained. “We’re putting bandages on problems that require surgery.”
The café operates on approximately $45,000 annually, raised entirely through donations and small community grants. Volunteers contribute an estimated 5,200 hours of service yearly.
For Wijesundera, whose day job as an administrative assistant at Bradford District High School keeps her busy, the volunteer work provides perspective. “I had a health scare two years ago—the kind that makes you think about what matters. And what matters is how we treat each other, especially when times are tough.”
As Bradford’s winter settles in, the café is preparing for increased demand. Volunteers are collecting warm clothing, particularly gloves and socks, which Wijesundera says are always in short supply.
“Sometimes people ask why I do this, especially the early mornings,” she reflects, watching the room fill with Tuesday’s guests. “It’s pretty simple, really. In a world with so much division, this is one small corner where we remember we’re all just people trying to get through another day. And nobody should have to do that alone or hungry.”
Anyone interested in supporting the Out of the Cold Café can contact St. Mary’s Anglican Church office for donation information or volunteer opportunities.
