Cancarb employees selected The Mustard Seed for a matching cash donation initiative and recently supplied 30 backpacks filled with gifts. Cancarb employees Christine Huber and Glenda Golish pose with the backpacks for clients of The Mustard Seed.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
The Mustard Seed not only provides assistance to those in the community experiencing homelessness, there are families and children, too.
There are 35 families and 42 children in the neighbourhood care program, said managing director Colette Eirich.
The Mustard Seed is asking the public to provide items that can be given to clients over the Holiday Season.
Each Thursday since April the organization has been making frozen meals and delivering them to specific families in need in the neighbourhood. Over Christmas the idea is to include gifts for the children and all of the clients.
Backpacks filled with useful items make an ideal gift, said Eirich.
Cancarb employees decided to participate, with the company matching the initiative, said president Peter Donnelly.
A total of 30 backpacks filled with gifts have already been delivered.
“This was to support The Mustard Seed’s local work as there was an increasing need for support for the less fortunate in our community with the economic slowdown and other impacts of COVID,” said Donnelly. “Many employees have expressed their gratitude for being fortunate enough to have the blessings of a job and other benefits at this time and have wanted to help out.”
Eirich says they would be delighted if the public could donate another 60 backpacks.
Items ideal to place inside are new and unopened travel-size personal hygiene items, and gift cards, particularly for coffee, are great gifts as well.
There have already been donations of quilts, hats, mitts and scarves and there are enough of those for now.
“We always need winter jackets, particularly large and extra large for men and women,” said Eirich.
Many clients spend a lot of time outdoors and need good winter boots and work gloves.
When it comes to the frozen meal program, The Mustard Seed can always use donations of dried pasta, rice, canned beans and trays of bottled water.
“We always need financial support,” said Eirich, noting even the frozen meal program requires the purchase of supplies.
Eirich says that since March the organization has provided assistance to 850 people with an average of 285 each month and about 90 people a day. Some clients have identified themselves as homeless and other have said they are in transition.
All donations made to The Mustard Seed locally remain in the community because it is independently operated, said Eirich.
“It stays right here for programming.”
Donations can be dropped off at the back door of The Champion Centre, 435 N. Railway St., Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you require additional information or would like to arrange for “contactless/curbside” drop-off, contact Eirich at 403-866-7542 or at ColetteEirich@theseed.ca
