Centre seeks food donations

CREDIT: Roy Antal, Leader-Post
Aaron Cross of Souls Harbour Rescue Mission poses in front of grocery shelves that are mostly bare except for condiments such as salad dressings.

Centre seeks food donations

Kerry Benjoe
Leader-Post
(Also posted in the World News Network!)

The cupboards are bare, the freezers have been unplugged at the Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, and the staff is asking for the public's help to turn that around.

"We have about 60 pounds of potatoes at the soup kitchen, which, when you are feeding 300 people a day, does not go very far," said Michelle Porter, executive director of the mission.

The centre has launched its food drive in hopes of not only replenishing its food reserves but to gather enough food for its annual Easter meal.

"Everyone deserves a meal. I don't care what you've done, you deserve to have a dinner," said Porter. "That's our goal, to make sure everyone who comes to our doors is fed and given proper nutrition."

Porter said the mission does the majority of its cooking at the soup kitchen, but says the food prepared there goes to other locations like to its men's home and its women and family home. She said there is a special family section which is filled every day with children and their parents.

Porter said Saturday's menu has been planned and she is expecting about 700 people with children making up roughly 40 per cent of the attendees.

"On the menu for the Easter dinner is Italian rotini with meat sauce, caesar salad, buns, cream of mushroom soup and home-made rice pudding," said Porter. "It's not exactly a traditional Easter meal but it's made with what we have that's surplus."

She said the centre needs all kinds of food and the centre will accept anything from canned goods to frozen food.

"We're trying to get a surplus. It's good to have the pantry stocked because you never know what kinds of things will come up," said Porter.

She remains hopeful that things will work out and the mission will be able to feed all those who show up at the centre's doors like it's been doing.

"(Monday), an hour before lunch we had all kinds of eggs and cooked sausage, ham and bacon. It's amazing. It just showed up and we were able to feed our 50 campus residents," said Porter.

Donations can be made directly at the centre at 3535 8th Ave. She said the centre is also accepting monetary donations.

The soup kitchen provides a nightly supper during the week, and lunch on Sundays. No meals are served on Saturdays except for this weekend when the Easter meal is served starting at 11:30 a.m.