By Michael Reeve

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Pit Stop meal program returns home just in time for Christmas dinner

Dec 5, 2025 | 4:26 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Pit Stop meal program has returned home after more than a year working as nomads.

Last August, the United Church in Kamloops was damaged by fire that ripped through the sanctuary, with the kitchen used by Pit Stop suffering water and smoke damage as a result. The program that helps feed anybody in need every Sunday is finally back home and volunteers are preparing for their biggest meal of the year.

“Man, so excited to be home, so excited because it’s been a while. It’s been a lot of things going on. It’s been about 18 months or thereabouts, been out there going from one place to another, managing from three different locations,” said Valentine Uwakwe, Pit Stop coordinator. “But here back home, so now we can breathe, we can get settled and have everything back to normal.”

Next Sunday at 3:00 pm will be Pit Stop’s annual Christmas dinner, with more than 300 community members expected to arrive for a warm meal and a gift bag including some warm clothing and a grocery gift card. Pit Stop is still looking for help restocking their kitchen and are accepting donations.

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“Most importantly now is cash donations because those will help us to really purchase things that we need,” added Valentine. “Apart from the warm items, we well need turkeys, more than 35 to 40 turkeys for the dinner and we will be buying gift cards to give to all… 300 guests the $25 grocery gift card. That is a lot of money, so all this is a tradition we want to keep and we don’t want to stop now.”