McSweeney’s WHL Community Collective: Lethbridge Hurricanes
Lethbridge, Alta.- On October 1, 1984, a group of ladies noticed some men sitting on the steps of a Lethbridge church and invited them inside for a bowl of soup.
The kind gesture evolved into a free lunch, twice a week, for people in need, and the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen was born.
More than 40 years on, Soup Kitchen Director Bill Ginther and the organization’s crew of part-time employees essentially act as a coaching staff that rolls impressive lines of dedicated volunteers who serve up hearty meals like Logan Wormald serves up goals.
The Soup Kitchen distributed 14,216 meals in November of 2024 alone.
“We do three meals a day every day, except Sunday, where we do a brunch and an evening meal,” Ginther explained. “We’re serving upwards of 175 (people), we’ve had over 200 people per meal. We operate mostly with volunteers. We’re 23 staff that are all part-time and we have about 800 volunteers.”
The Lethbridge Hurricanes players and staff are proud members of that volunteer roster, with the squad teaming up to prep food, cook, serve, clean and work the coat and bag check for guests.
“I’ve been twice now, and that was a pretty great experience,” Canes alternate captain Logan Wormald said.
Earlier this month players and staff volunteered at the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen, serving nearly 400 meals to those in need. pic.twitter.com/VLSxmJo3Gy
— Lethbridge Hurricanes (@WHLHurricanes) October 15, 2024
The 19-year-old from Langley, B.C. had never been to a Soup Kitchen before visiting with the Hurricanes.
Most recently, he’s been on meal prep duty with Brayden Edwards, though players (and even their coaches and General Manager) often switch up their roles.
Wormald says the work has given him a different perspective on people experiencing food insecurity.
“They’re all human beings and we’re not going to treat them any differently,” Wormald said. “There are plenty of people that come by, some of them have homes and just need a warm meal and kind of want to be with other people… Hearing all of their stories and the different reasons they’re there and things like that is humbling. Even some of them are still watching the team and know a bit about you, so that’s pretty awesome.”
Ginther also makes the rounds to local schools and rinks to present to young people about issues like poverty, homelessness and addiction- but at the end of the day, he hopes they can realize the impact they can have through treating others with dignity and compassion.
Thanks to Bill from the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen for coming to talk to the team about addiction, homelessness, and vulnerability this morning. Looking forward to volunteering at the Soup Kitchen over the next couple of weeks. pic.twitter.com/y2oaWDdEOL
— Lethbridge Hurricanes (@WHLHurricanes) September 23, 2024
Some of that can be achieved through small things in the setup of the Soup Kitchen.
A host will greet guests at the door, another volunteer handles the bag and coat check and meals are served restaurant-style at round tables.
The most important part comes in how guests are treated.
“We really do our best to make them feel welcome and acknowledge them,” Ginther added. “I do a lot of talks, and I say that eye contact is vital. It legitimizes people’s existence. Say hello. If you have a name, use it and say “Hello, my name is (blank), what’s yours?’ That way we recognize them as not just a ‘homeless person’, but a person who is homeless.”
The Soup Kitchen also keeps a supply of toques and gloves for those who need them and sends guests on their way with piping hot coffee or hot chocolate in takeaway cups donated by local businesses like Cupper’s Coffee & Tea.
While the Hurricanes have wrapped up their visits to the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen for the season, they hope to be back in the future as the organization prepares to undergo an expansion project in April.
In the meantime, Ginther hopes the lessons they’ve learned will extend beyond their junior hockey careers.
“Regardless of where you go as an adult, develop a deeper level of compassion for other people,” Ginther emphasized. “I think players like this, too, see something that they haven’t experienced before and they realize that they can make a difference. You know, a little thing, being nice to somebody, sending them gloves, water, coming to volunteer shows that your heart is beyond who you are. It’s not all about you as a hockey player, it really isn’t. It’s about what can you be as a person and how can you enhance someone’s life by being nice to them.”