Jason DeBlois (left) from Kamloops Ram presents the $50,000 his dealership has donated to The Mustard Seed (Image Credit: The Mustard Seed)

By Chad Klassen

LARGEST DONATION

Mustard Seed receives $50,000 donation, using funds to help ‘unseen’ women on streets

Dec 1, 2021 | 4:22 PM

KAMLOOPS — Cooking up meals for the less fortunate is nothing new for The Mustard Seed. The non-profit serves meals to the homeless and others twice a day.

It also helps people out of addiction with a men’s recovery program. However, The Mustard Seed says what is lacking is help for women.

“It’s such a passion of mine. Many years ago, we had to close down the House of Ruth and the recovery centre. I still hurt over that. My heart hurts, and I want to be able to change that and again start to be able to address the women’s needs in our community because they’re so unseen,” said executive director of The Mustard Seed Kamloops Kelly Thomson.

It’s been more than a decade since the House of Ruth, helping women in recovery, closed its doors in 2009. Thomson wants a similar facility open. He says women represent about one-quarter of The Mustard Seed’s clientel, but doesn’t have any recovery programs for them to lean on.

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He hopes a $50,000 donation from Kamloops Ram — the largest non-governmental in its history —will help more women in Kamloops.

“This money will actually able to allow us to, if they don’t have the money, we can sign them up for something. It can actually get them moving on with their lives,” said Thomson. “The other part is we have a full-time trauma counsellor about to join us here in December, and that again is going to be a game-changer.”

Kamloops Ram says after meeting with The Mustard Seed, it was confident the money was going to the right place.

“We looked for something that could really target the best and the broadest amount of people,” said Jason DeBlois from Kamloops Ram. “So when I met with Kelly, it seemed like a natural fit and something that could really get people back on their feet.”

As part of helping more women on the streets, Dolly Flynn, a long-time volunteer with The Mustard Seed and someone with lived experience with addiction, will be an advocate for women on the streets.

Dolly Flynn (right) will become an advocate for women on behalf of The Mustard Seed (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

“It’s going to give us an opportunity to get to women that nobody ever sees,” said Flynn. “A lot of people don’t know The Seed at all, or about what The Seed can do for them. I’m going to go and talk to the people that nobody’s paying any attention to.”

Flynn got sober at The Mustard Seed 15 years ago — known as the New Life Mission at the time. She has always wanted to give back and feels this advocacy role allows her to do more for women struggling.

“I know what it’s like. I was in addictions for years. Being sober is really good and I want to give others a chance,” said Flynn.