Coming up after the Thanksgiving Weekend, as we celebrate, feast and fellowship with family and friends in warm homes...many in Victoria can only dream of such a time.
The situation in our city is becoming more desparate. Having coffee with Chris Riddell of Mustard Seed this morning, he shared that numbers of people coming to the Food Bank had doubled in the last 5 years to over 6,000 per month. What was more shocking, 35% are children. When I arrived at the Seed to meet Chris the line up stretched around the block, and more and more your seeing families, single moms with kids...the working poor making 8-10 dollars an hour. It becomes the contant juggling of paying for food or rent.
I've seen the finger pointing, and heard the harsh comments about most choose this lifestyle, Freakin BS man! come down and have look. The demographics are changing...more families, more kids. Poverty is on the increase.
To make people aware of homelessness in Victoria, the Bay Center downtown has allowed the Mustard Seed, Our Place, Street Link to put up information booths to make the public aware of the situation. We're not there to solicate money...just to increase awareness. But I, need help...I'm desperate.
I'm helping to organize the info booth for The Mustard Seed Food Bank Church, and I need volunteers to man the booth Tuesday 14th- Sunday 19th; 9:30 am-6:00pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday; 9:30am-9:00pm Thursday and Friday; 11:00am-6:00pm Sunday.
If you can volunteer with a friend for a 3hour shift, Mustard Seed Foodbank Church would be grateful...but more than that, the folks on the street would be grateful.
If you can help out e-mail me at ( labmanster@gmail.com ) or phone me at ( 250-479-0887 )
