Rescue Mission’s Thanksgiving dinner attracts over 600

REGINA – Over 600 people attended Souls Harbour Rescue Mission’s Thanksgiving community dinner on Saturday.

“People don’t have enough money to buy their food anymore,” said John Legault, who attended the gathering at the Dean Smith Community Centre. “They take advantage of organizations like this to feed their family. There’s a lot of kids here.”

The dinner has been held annually for over a decade and features turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes – the usual fixings.

“You can smell it two and a half blocks away,” said Legault.

The food, which was made by volunteers using many donated items from the public, was well-received by attendees.

“It’s up there with mom’s except there was no whipped cream on our pie, but we’ll live,” said Catherine Reid with a laugh.

Mayor Michael Fougere said he has attended the dinner for several years.

“They’re being served the food and then they take their time to have the meal here. It’s not an assembly line, it’s actually a meal, and that’s really important,” said Fougere.

The mayor was one of 75 volunteers on hand.

“It’s nice to just see them enjoy a good meal. You know, we take it for granted I think a lot of times, and it’s good to be able to provide,” said Rod Dueck.

He and his 14-year-old son Matthew drove in from Swift Current to volunteer.

“It’s really heartwarming to see how just a little drink can make their whole day,” said Matthew.

While the food was the one of the main attractions, it wasn’t necessarily the highlight.

“A lot of people talk about this meaning a lot to them. It’s not just because it’s a meal, it’s because it’s that opportunity to be with people and to celebrate the holidays, and so the need in the community can be both things at the same time,” said Cochcrane.

Help also came in the form of free mugs for attendees as they left the gathering. The mugs were donated by the public and included instant coffee mix and canned souped inside.

“So they can take it with them as they go and keep themselves warm whether they’re riding the bus or walking,” said Cochrane.

Cochrane personally greeted many guests at the door of the gymnasium the dinner was held in.