Image Credit: The Mustard Seed Kamloops

By Adam Donnelly

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Warm feelings at The Mustard Seed as Kamloops comes up big for Coldest Night of the Year

Feb 22, 2021 | 4:42 PM

KAMLOOPS — Charity organizations have been hit hard by the pandemic, as the events they rely on to raise funds have been overwhelmingly affected by COVID-19 restrictions. However, many organizations have been forced to adapt in order raise those much-needed funds — including the Mustard Seed, which held their annual Coldest Night of the Year event on Saturday.

“As you can see, the mattresses are not in great condition,” Kelly Thomson, Managing Director of the Mustard Seed Kamloops, demonstrates.

After sleeping on these old mattresses, the men who reside at the Mustard Seed’s Sober Living Centre can look forward to the brand new ones soon. That’s because the annual Coldest Night of the Year has raised over $27,000, according to the event website, to help fund better sleep for the Mustard Seed’s clients.

“It’s really difficult for a person that’s in recovery; there’s a lot going on in their minds already,” Thomson explains. “You’ve got to have good sleep. Without good sleep, how do get up the next day and face the challenges of going online to learn, things you maybe haven’t done for a long time?”

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The program takes men with substance use issues and gives them a chance at recovery. Once in the program, the men are offered an opportunity to work through the root causes of their substance use.

“Once they get that figured out, then we start looking at how they can get you a graduation certificate. Courses and training — anything we can do. And then eventually, we hope to get them into housing and a job.”

Coldest Night of the Year runs in communities across Canada. The fundraiser is meant to support local charities like the Mustard Seed, that help those experiencing homelessness. All the money raised in Kamloops stays in the community. For Kelly Thomson, the generosity he saw at the drive-thru version of the event on Saturday was inspiring.

“The people in Kamloops are so generous,” Thomson says. “They just, they’re here for everything that’s going on, and they’ve been here for the Mustard Seed for a long time. I can’t say thank you enough. It’s overwhelming.”

The Mustard Seed is accepting donations for Coldest Night of the Year until the end of February. To contribute, you can visit CNOY.org/location/kamloops.