The Mustard Seed says it does not have enough funding to offer a dinner meal program. File Photo/CHAT News

By Jesse Gill, Eli J. Ridder

Mustard Seed unable to provide evening meal without more funding, executive says

Aug 22, 2024 | 4:55 PM

A Mustard Seed executive said Thursday its Medicine Hat location is unable to support an evening community meal without a major boost in funding after the Salvation Army recently revealed it would end its dinner program in the near future.

“We would need either to receive some funding — whether that’s federal or municipal or provincial — or donations from the community,” said Laura Giesbrecht, senior director of food services.

“Our community meals are 100 per cent donor funded.”

Salvation Army spokesperson Major Al Hoeft said earlier this month in Medicine Hat dinner meal initiative would come to an end when a lease expires for the building the program is hosted in.

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Hoeft said the Mustard Seed would be able to provide for those who would be impacted by closing the program.

“We’ve worked with them and their capacity exists there to expand their programming and to be able to accomodate the others who are already coming to our program,” he told CHAT News.

The Mustard Seed was caught off guard as the Salvation Army is the only local organization that provides a community evening meal.

Since then, the Mustard Seed has experienced an increase of some 40 to 50 individuals a day accessing its breakfast and lunch services, according to Giesbrecht.

The Mustard Seed has spoken with the Salvation Army recently, Giesbrecht said.

“It’s important for us to work really well with all the other agencies and to have open communication because we’re all serving the same individuals.”