St Ambrose Cafe

Rev Andy Carley

05 Aug 2010

For years now, St Ambrose in Aranui have been running services to help people in need on the east side of Christchurch, while also offering a place for spiritual support. Megan Blakie pops in to sample the toasties at the community drop-in café.

Warmth is the first thing you notice when you pop in to in East Christchurch’s St Ambrose drop-in café, which runs from late morning to lunchtime each weekday. Although rainy and bleak outside, the temperature is toasty, the tables and walls are a bright array of cheerful colours, and there’s a warm smile from the volunteers. “It provides friendship for people – a bit of company, a bit of contact – but also provides us with an opportunity to get to know others in our community,” says Andy Carley, the priest-missioner for Aranui-Wainoni mission district (it’s not defined as a parish).

A team of about fifteen volunteers regularly help out at the café and foodbank, which are housed in neighbouring rooms in the church hall. Along with a friendly word, they offer people a free cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit. Inexpensive hot toasties or soup are sold two days a week; judging by the number of people sitting at tables, the hot food is appreciated. Andy says their food-oriented services are an intentional way to offer pastoral care: spiritual as well as practical help. He makes sure he’s available to talk with café visitors during at least part of his week. “People often come to me just wanting to have a chat about things. We may not see them on Sunday at all, but they come out to the café as they want somebody to talk to about their problems,” he says.

The café started about a decade ago as a way to help foodbank clients feel less embarrassed about waiting to be interviewed. Now the café attracts a cross-section of people from the community including the elderly, families and single parents. “People walk out happier than when they come in,” says Sue, a café volunteer.

St Ambrose has responsibility for the foodbank and café after the trust that used to operate them was disbanded last year. Andy is happy about the change. “Everybody knows it’s the church that does this now, not some trust. We feel more free to be able to offer to pray for people. Now, when we advertise the Alpha course through the café, we’re getting increasing numbers of people asking about church.”

Words & Photo: Megan Blakie