Economic and affordability issues are forcing more people to lean on social supports across the country.
And a Lethbridge facility is undergoing a major expansion to try to help more people.
Construction on the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen’s expansion is now underway.
The organization is adding 1,800 square feet to its existing building.
The new space will allow for 35 more guests to be served each meal.
Last month, nearly 14,000 meals were served to those in the community.
The executive director says the new space is vital to keeping up with the growing demand.
“This will make it even better—easier for us to provide. It’ll give us capacity, which we need to have,” said Bill Ginther.
“I was told recently; we should never celebrate growth in an industry such as ours. Well, there’s no celebrating—it’s just responding to need and we know that we don’t want to turn anyone away.
“We never have, and we never will.”
The expansion was completely funded by private donors from the community.
Construction is expected to be complete by June 30.
