The Salvation Army served more than 120 Christmas meals to the community this week (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

CHRISTMAS DINNER

Social agencies in Kamloops coming together to provide Christmas dinner for those in need

Dec 24, 2020 | 1:36 PM

KAMLOOPS — Christmas dinner for everyone will look a little different this year. Whether you’re having your turkey dinner Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, it’ll be just the household eating together.

For the homeless, this Christmas will be different as well with fewer gatherings. With limited numbers, the dining hall at The Mustard Seed Kamloops will be home to a pair of dinners during Christmas. Christmas Eve will feature the traditional turkey dinner, courtesy of ASK Wellness, while pizza will be served on Christmas Day.

“We’re keeping it very subtle due to the pandemic and the restrictions. We’re really trying our best,” said basic services manager Sally Martin. “We will continue business as usual. We will be serving meals, but we will do the regular tradition of turkey for Christmas today.”

Gary Sisco is thankful for a Christmas dinner. He’s been in Kamloops for three months, coming from Nova Scotia.

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“It’s excellent. If it was for places like this, we would have absolutely nothing,” he said.

Sisco is staying the Emerald Centre and has been for the last few weeks. With no loved ones around, it’s a tough time for many who are without a home.

“It’s hard because nobody has much. Christmas time’s always been a time of family, but we make our own families down here. You see everybody, give away what you can,” said Sisco.

The Salvation Army, which typically hosts a Christmas dinner at its Poplar Street location, went mobile this year. Volunteers served up turkey dinner with all the fixings from its truck.

“It’s really important. We had people here today I was talking to. They’ve been anticipating having turkey dinner. They were excited about it, so it’s really great that we can do that,” said Connie Alger from The Salvation Army.

“If you’re living in a motel, you don’t have the opportunity to cook that kind of meal. To have that meal arrive, and then you get to partake in that holiday festive meal, is really important.”

The Christmas meals followed the Salvation Army’s regular Tuesday and Wednesday serving days. More than 120 meals were served to the community over two days. Volunteers even delivered food to seniors who had no mode of transportation.

It takes a community effort to ensure everybody is feed during the holidays, and The Mustard Seed has felt the holiday spirit from other agencies in Kamloops.

“I want to say a special thank you to ASK Wellness for supporting us through this week and supporting us, especially for the Christmas dinner, making sure that is possible,” said Martin.