The Salvation Army says it will continue its dinner meal program. Jim Parkin/Dreamstime.com

By Eli J. Ridder, Jesse Gill

Salvation Army says it will continue Medicine Hat evening meal program

Aug 23, 2024 | 11:55 AM

The Salvation Army has decided to continue an evening meal program that provides sustenance for many of the Medicine Hat’s most vulnerable people after concerns were raised over its previously-announced cancellation.

“Recent positive changes to the safety and security environment implemented for the program have worked to make this option possible,” the organization said in a statement Friday.

The changes will allow for “a safe and welcoming environment for those in need of this service and those in the surrounding area.”

Major Patsy Rowe, community services officer for Salvation Army Medicine Hat, said she’s looking forward to continuing the program.

“We are excited to continue the tradition of service to the community that has been so much a part of Salvation Army service here in the downtown for years,” Rowe said.

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“Food security is such a critical issue in our community, and we are pleased to work with community partners such as Fifth Avenue Memorial to address this need.”

By-appointment meetings with individuals seeking support will also continue.

But the drop-in portion of the program, an expanded service added during the pandemic, will not recommence, the Salvation Army said.

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

Hoeft said then that other service organizations like The Mustard Seed would be able to fill the gap left.

However, a Mustard Seed spokesperson pointed out the Salvation Army is the only organization in Medicine Hat running a dinner program, emphasizing its importance.

Mustard Seed food services director Laura Giesbrecht told CHAT News its Medicine Hat location experienced an increase of some 40 to 50 individuals a day accessing its breakfast and lunch services after the Salvation Army announced it would end their dinner meal.