Summer Street Patrol

Summer Street Patrol is back!

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Street Patrol 2024 : *29 YEARS OF SERVICE*
Every Wednesday Evening in July & August (July 3 – August 28)
QUESTIONS? Please read our FAQ (Frequenty Asked Questions) page for answers.

IMPORTANT: We are now booking LARGE Groups (groups of 12 people or more). Individuals and Small Groups need NOT book Please participate whenever you wish!
Please contact Lucio at inmylife@rogers.com  or 416-738-9197
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What is Summer Street Patrol? Summer Street Patrol

Street Patrol is a weekly volunteer program to feed the poor and homeless of downtown Toronto. The initiative, which was started by its organizer, Lucio Abbruzzese, in 1995 has run for over 25 years now out of St. Patrick's Parish in Toronto. A patrol would commonly consists of a group of 20 to 40 youth and adults. Volunteers of the now multi-parish effort meet each Wednesday evening on the church steps of St. Patrick's during the months of July and August, bringing with them food and care packages for distribution. The volunteers would first gather for a brief orientation before breaking off in teams for the patrol. They head out to walk through the downtown core to distribute the goods to the homeless, searching for those who could use a meal and a smile.Each patrol could last from 2-3 hours.

Street Patrol came into being in 1995 when as a young man, Lucio had a conversion experience after being away from the church for some time. He started going to Mass frequently, embracing the Sacraments and reading the Bible but still felt something was missing. He just wanted to help people.

"I looked into my parish bulletin and saw the Office of Catholic Youth was running a sandwich program which later would become Street Patrol," said Abbruzzese who now teaches religion at Toronto's Michael Power-St. Joseph's School. "I showed up on a Wednesday in 1995 and haven't stopped yet. I basically took it over soon after and have been running it ever since."

Summer Street Patrol St. Patricks
How it all began...
"I watched on, slightly amused, slightly insulted, as a homeless person spitted out a sandwich I had just handed him. He then began to cuss and swear: “What the @#$% is this @#$% you’re feeding me?” Well, it was an eggplant sandwich; an Italian delicacy. My new found friend was not impressed. And so began my involvement with the homeless. Many summers of Street Patrol later, I have since learned a few things — like sticking to more “traditional” sandwiches. I have also experienced countless rewarding moments with those who were in need of my company, concern, and offer of food...
Read on