Help the Homeless, Refuge Mission Hall, Complete the Kitchen

Hi everyone ! My name is Colin Chong. I’m President of the Refuge Mission Foundation. The Refuge Mission is founded on the universal laws of love and caring for those less fortunate in our midst. Our mandate is to assist those in dire need within our community which includes helping the homeless, the destitute, mentally ill, and those trapped in the cycle of addictions.

Food, clothing, and hope through sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ are offered each day at the Refuge Mission Hall. Volunteers serve simple meals and snacks to 100 - 200 people each evening from 5.30pm to 8pm at 10542 96 Street, Edmonton. They do this 365 days a year. All the people who help at the Mission, including myself, are volunteers.

We maintain an emergency clothing service at the Mission, so donations of pants, sweaters, footwear, underwear, jackets and blankets are always welcome.

Food preparation is a big job and needs many volunteer hours. Serving soup and sandwiches at 5.30pm every evening is the visible work but many background jobs must be done to keep the Mission running smoothly. Floors, chairs and tables need daily cleaning, garbage must be taken out, boxes are broken down for recycling, dishes and laundry are a daily constant. Maintaining clean wash-rooms is a big job.

All the food served and given out is donated. About three times a week volunteers go to the Edmonton Food Bank, a big time-commitment that generates a lot of heavy lifting; loading and unloading. Storage headaches are a regular concern as the Mission Kitchen is presently in a half-finished state. But thanks to the generosity of food donors, a mountain of food is received, prepared and served - everyday.

With the kitchen half-finished, Alberta Health Service has granted the Refuge Mission a basic food preparation license which allows the preparation of vegetable-based soups and sandwiches. Fruit and snacks are also permitted to be served.

But winter is coming. The Refuge Mission would like to expand its services. If the kitchen is completed to commercial standards, and a full food preparation license is granted; hot hearty nutritious meals, tastier and more satisfying food can be prepared and served to those who rely on the Mission. Imagine the smiles.

The city has approved our architectural plans. Much of the building, electrical, and plumbing work has already been done. Qualified tradespeople are ready to donate their time and skills to complete the kitchen but a lack of funds to buy equipment is holding us back.

We need to raise seventy-five thousand dollars. We need a make-up air unit, commercial dish-washer, commercial gas oven, flooring, shelving, cabinetry, counters and refrigeration.

We are reaching out to churches, social justice groups, businesses and people who want to help the city’s most vulnerable. Please help spread the word about this project.

Will you or your group consider donating to help the Refuge Mission Foundation complete the kitchen?

We appreciate your generosity and sincerely thank you.