KELOWNA — The aroma of turkey dinners fill the kitchen at Kelowna’s Gospel Mission as volunteers prepare to serve hundreds of clients. This holiday meal is even more special this year because it marks the grand opening of a new dining room.
“We’re so excited to have our grand opening on Thanksgiving Day because we have so much to be thankful for,” says Randy Benson, the executive director of Kelowna’s Gospel Mission.
Benson says a secondary dining hall was needed because the eating area is usually full, fitting up to 70 people. Now with the additional space, an extra 100 people do not have to wait outside to get a warm meal.
The new space used to be a thrift store. But thanks to the generous donors and some funding from the provincial government, the Mission was able to raise $100,000.
“There was a lot of engineering involved because it wasn’t as simple as knocking down a few walls. There are two different foundations and a lot of infrastructure work that had to be done, but for the space we’re getting, we feel like it was a good investment,” says Benson.
It’s also being well received by clients.
“There’s a lot more space. It was over crowded over there. Now there’s a lot more space, people won’t be bumping into each other,” says Bill Bain.
The Mission is serving 45 turkeys, 20 hams, 1,600 pounds of potatoes and all the fixings.
Benson estimates volunteers will serve between 800 to 1,000 people this Thanksgiving.
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