IN PHOTOS: Edmonton’s Hope Mission serves early Christmas meal to ‘600 of our neighbours in need’

The sound of music rang through the eating area of a downtown Edmonton social care agency Monday night, as the aroma of a traditional holiday dinner wafted through Hope Mission‘s headquarters.

“Every year at Christmas, we know that it can be a very lonely time for people who are homeless and on the streets, and so we want to make sure that we can provide a really special meal for people coming together here tonight,” Hope Mission spokesperson Robin Padanyi said as the agency put on its first of four Christmas Banquets for Edmontonians in need.

“We know that for people who are homeless in our city, Christmas can be be a very difficult time – it can be a very lonely time – if you’re estranged from your family or friends, and you may not have a home to go to.”

Padanyi said making the Christmas dinner with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy costs Hope Mission only about $2.70 per person served. But the agency was expecting to serve about 600 meals on Monday night and needs financial donations, servers and cooks to make the event happen.

“We have tremendous volunteers in our city who have really big hearts for people who are in need.”

The other Christmas Banquets will take place later in December.

“For some, this banquet meal – through a conversation, a contact – will be the opportunity they need to consider a new possibility for their lives,” Hope Mission’s website says. “Some will take steps to enter Hope Mission’s recovery community and move on to health and wholeness.”

View photos from Monday night’s Christmas banquet dinner below: