By 3:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, the volunteers are already busy at Hilltop House. Tablecloths are spread, tableware set out, and somewhere in the kitchen, something is simmering. It might be a hearty shepherd’s pie, or perhaps a specially requested moose stew from a resident who grew up near Mount Currie. To top it all off, sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce and homemade ice cream for dessert.
This is the Friday Night Dinner program, and for the 12 to 15 residents who gather each week, it is the highlight of their week.
More than 20 years ago, a Hilltop House resident asked a friend to bring in a home-cooked meal. Word spread, other residents wanted in, and a tradition was born. Today, the program is organized and funded by the Hilltop House Support Society.
The support society is an independent volunteer organization that organizes a plethora of resident supports, like outings to the Sea to Sky gondola or purchasing exercise equipment. It’s completely separate from the Vancouver Coastal Health run long-term care facility.
“It’s not just a meal,” says Christina Musselwhite, president of the Hilltop House Support Society about the dinner program. “We have the room to ourselves, we have tablecloths and proper crockery, and it’s a fun evening.”
Family members are welcome, and spouses often attend, turning an ordinary Friday into something that feels like a date night.
“It’s hard for residents when one spouse is in Hilltop and the other isn’t,” Musselwhite said. “So if we can give them a chance to have a meal together, that means a lot.”
The food itself is made entirely from scratch. “Even the buns are homemade,” Musselwhite notes. “The idea is that it’s been made in somebody’s kitchen, we’re not just going down and buying something and plunking it on the table.” Volunteers cook what residents request, stretch the budget carefully and always aim for something that feels personal and comforting.
The evening doesn’t end when the plates are cleared. Volunteers sit down with residents for coffee and conversation, and entertainment is woven in whenever possible. “On Robbie Burns Night, we’ve had bagpipes come in,” Musselwhite said. “We want it to last. It’s not come in, eat, and go back.”
With about 45 eligible residents at Hilltop House, the program runs on a three-week rotation so everyone gets a turn. Funding comes from community donations and grants, including a recent $10,000 contribution from the Squamish Rotary Club, which the support society says will last them well into 2027. Nestor’s Market is also a long-time supporter of the program.
Musselwhite was first drawn into the support society through the dinners after she retired, and the experience changed her.
“I got started like that,” she recalled, “and now I’m running the support society…because it’s so worthwhile.”
She said the program is always looking for new volunteers, especially anyone willing to cook.
