Evening Meal Program Provides Much-Needed Food and Friendship

For Danny, the Evening Meal Program offered by The Salvation Army in Medicine Hat, Alta., has had a positive impact on his life. The program has provided him with regular meals and a welcoming community he looks forward to seeing each night.

The meal program runs five days a week and offers food to anyone in need of dinner. For over a year, Danny has been a frequent visitor, usually attending every night it is available.

“I moved to Medicine Hat and when I got here I had nowhere to live,” Danny shares. “I ended up in a shelter and was told to go to The Salvation Army Resource Centre if I needed to eat.”

“I don’t get much money. This program helps me.”

Due to a physical disability, Danny’s income is limited and he struggles to cook. Before learning about the program, he ate very little compared to now.

“All I get is a disability benefit from the federal government, so I don’t get much money. This program helps me. It also helps me because I’m not a very good cook myself,” he adds.

The meal program not only sends him to bed well-fed each night but has also allowed him to make new friends, which he finds extremely valuable since he didn’t know anyone when he moved to Medicine Hat.

“There is always a lot of people, and it is always a relaxed, happy atmosphere. I’ve made lots of friends,” Danny says. He also has great respect for the volunteers and staff who participate and provide excellent service to the guests.

“Everybody is there to help you or give you anything you might need.”

“The staff and the volunteers are caring. They want to make sure that everything is acceptable, clean and organized.”

Danny says the care he receives goes beyond just the meal, such as being provided with bus passes to move around the city more easily.

As Danny continues to enjoy the food and connection at the evening meal program, he is grateful for the access to it.

“I would encourage people to walk in and relax. Everybody is there to help you or give you anything you might need,” Danny says.

By Juan Romero