1,500 pounds of turkey: Union Gospel Mission serves up annual Christmas meal

The Union Gospel Mission will serve up 1,800 Christmas meals this weekend.

“It has been a long year and, at times, it’s felt like hope was in short supply,” says UGM’s Nadia Tchoumi. “This holiday season, we want to continue doing what we’ve been doing all this year and for the past 80 years: igniting hope and building meaningful connections over a meal. Just like Lindsay, we’ve seen how powerful a meal can be.”

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Lindsay Miles-Pickup has been volunteering with the UGM for 22 years and says she has seen just how powerful a single meal can be.

“Even though things have been incredibly difficult across British Columbia right now, particularly the Lower Mainland, I think the more that we give back, the better off we’re all going to be,” says Miles-Pickup.

Union Gospel Mission

Like last year, there are still COVID-19 health measures in effect. A small number of staff and volunteers will be on hand Saturday, November 4, to serve UGM’s annual Christmas Dinner, which includes:

• 1500 lbs roasted turkey
• 375 lbs homemade stuffing
• 425 lbs mashed potatoes
• 160 litres gravy
• 400 lbs vegetables
• Cranberry sauce
• 350 cherry pies

Christmas meals will be served “to go” through the drop-in doors.

The Union Gospel Mission has eight locations in Metro Vancouver and the city of Mission, providing emergency shelter, meals, outreach, career development counselling, education, safe and affordable housing, addiction recovery, and much more to those struggling with poverty, homelessness and addiction.