Union Gospel Mission serves Thanksgiving meal to thousands
Posted October 13, 2014 1:56 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Thousands of Vancouver’s less fortunate lined Hastings Street to get some Thanksgiving dinner at the Union Gospel Mission today.
Derek Weiss works with UGM and says hope and support provided to those battling addiction and other issues is just as important as the generosity shown by the public.
“If you give up on people, it’s much easier for them to give up on themselves,” he says. “When you believe in people, amazing things can happen. I see that every day here at Union Gospel Mission.”
Off drugs for a year now after completing a 12-step program at the UGM, Mike Farrington was close to killing himself as he wrestled a heroin addiction before getting help.
“At 43 I ended up losing everything,” Farrington says. “My job, my family, everything. I ended up on heroin. I was on the street, battling my life.”
Farrington now works for the UGM as a maintenance worker.
This year, the UGM dished out 2,800 pounds of turkey to 3,000 people in Vancouver and New Westminster.
Also on the menu, 800 pounds of mashed potatoes and stuffing, with 300 litres of gravy to wash it all down.
