Dressed in a Santa hat, Lawrence Ron was all smiles, hugging strangers and going back for seconds on his mobility scooter during the annual Mustard Seed holiday feast.
A regular attendee of the traditional Christmas dinner, an annual event hosted by the Mustard Seed Street Church and Food Bank with funding from the Times Colonist Christmas Fund, Ron had nothing but praise for the organization. “So many people depend on the Mustard Seed. They do great work.”
Ron knows that personally, having found a place in seniors’ housing only last year after spending more than a decade on the streets. “They put on a good dinner.”
It was more than just a meal that was ready at noon for those waiting outside the Bay Street Armoury. Doors opened to tune of Joy to the World, played by the Canadian Military Brass Band of the 5th (B.C.) Field Regiment.
Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock and Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins were on hand to help hand out plates of holiday fare as hundreds sat down to a Christmas feast accompanied by live music.
Mustard Seed’s interim congregational pastor, Drew Snider, said while people are free to take their meals to-go, the point is to guarantee them a warm meal and a place to eat and be festive.
Chris Hammer, the chef behind Saturday’s feast, said volunteers — such as chef Walter Gurtner of Bill Mattick’s Restaurant, who helped debone the 30 turkeys used in the feast— have been preparing for the meal throughout the week.
About 200 people were feasting by 1 p.m. and the volunteers cooked with more than 400 people in mind. The number is lower than pre-COVID years, which saw upwards of 1,000 people in attendance at the lunches.
About 400 Christmas family hampers were also handed out at Mustard Seed’s Queens Avenue facility.
The feast is the organization’s way of celebrating with the street community after all the ups and downs that happened this year, Snider said.
“We don’t want to see people turned away,” he said. “That’s not going to happen today.”
Deanne Skinner, who came to the meal with a family member, said it’s important to have Christmas events like these. “So many people are alone and isolated. Gatherings like this really help.”
After living in Victoria for 11 years, Hu Qin found out about the annual meal through a friend. Together, they brought six kids, filling up one of the 25 tables set out for the feast.
“I love to go to these community events to see how others celebrate the holidays,” she said in Mandarin. “I was pretty curious.”
Packing up some leftovers and wiping some spilt hot chocolate off her daughter’s sleeve, she said she’s looking forward to coming back next year, even if her kids aren’t completely used to the idea of eating stuffing.
HOW TO DONATE TO THE CHRISTMAS FUND
You can donate by going to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund web page at tcchristmasfund.com.
That page is linked to CanadaHelps, which is open 24 hours a day and provides an immediate tax receipt.
Or mail a cheque to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund, 201-655 Tyee Rd., Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5.
You can also use your credit card by phoning 250-995-4438 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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