Tanya Wilson couldn’t believe the amount of work that went into the annual Mustard Seed Christmas dinner.
Wilson, her fiancé Rob Aleck and 10-year-old Cheyenne Wilson were among about 750 diners treated to a chef-cooked meal at the Bay Street Armoury on Sunday. Wilson said it was her first time at the dinner and she was impressed.
“I’m amazed how it turns out, the time and effort they put into it, making all the food and everything,” she said.
The quick service from volunteers offering food and beverages was appreciated, she said.
“I’m not used to that kind of thing at all.”
Wilson and her family followed the dinner with a trip to Esquimalt to watch the Celebration of Lights Parade. “It’s something to do with all of us together as a family.”
The Mustard Seed has been serving Christmas dinner to the less fortunate almost since it began more than 35 years ago, said Allan Lingwood, director of development for the non-profit organization, which operates Vancouver Island’s largest food bank and also offers counselling and other services.
It began with just a few people at a dinner table and has grown ever since, he said. This year, the money to put the dinner on was provided by the Times Colonist Christmas Fund.
On Sunday, people lined up early and waited patiently in the late-afternoon coolness for this year’s meal.
Volunteers handed out coffee and hot chocolate outside the door, which opened at 4 p.m. They were part of a team of about 150 volunteers who made sure the dinner went smoothly.
Lingwood said organizers planned for up to 1,000 diners, including volunteers.
The man behind the meal was Ryan Orr, executive chef at the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort. He became involved with the dinner years ago through his mother, Lynn, a Mustard Seed volunteer.
“It’s been three days,” he said of the cooking effort needed to feed so many people. “We have 375 [kilograms] of turkey.”
Also on the menu were 180 kg of potatoes, 160 kg of vegetables and 130 litres of gravy, he said.
The food was cooked at Work Point Barracks in Esquimalt and transported to the armoury by truck, Lingwood said.
The Times Colonist Christmas Fund is working directly with the Mustard Seed and the Salvation Army this year, offering a boost to those who need a helping hand as it has been doing since 1956.
Your help is needed:
It's quick and easy to donate online. Just go to:
timescolonist.com/christmasfund
By phone: 250-995-4438
By mail or in person:
2621 Douglas St., Victoria, B.C.
V8T 4M2
Make cheques payable to "Times Colonist Christmas Fund"
