A desperate plea from a local soup kitchen, who are in need of funds..or they may have to close their doors.
The Ray of Hope Soup Kitchen was established in 1984, and it has served more than 750 thousand meals to the needy since then.
But Chairman of the Board Dave Small says they’ve seen a decline in the number of donations they’re getting, In the last couple of years our donations have fallen off, and our demand is staying constant, so we have been running a deficit for the last couple of years, of around $20, 000 a year. Our savings are just about exhausted now, so we need to appeal to the community to continue and increase the levels of support we have been getting over the last 32 years so we can keep our doors open.”
He says there is an oversaturation in the region of groups who are feeding the needy, “There are more organizations in the community doing similar things, and they’re also very busy. That is dividing up the donor base up amongst a number of organizations.”
The Ray of Hope receives a $5000 grant from the City of Moncton and $10, 000 from the provincial government each year. Otherwise, all of their budget comes from private donations.
Small says their Soup Kitchen needs total donations of $70, 000 dollars to sustain operations beyond 2017.
To donate, contact the Kitchen directly at 857-4224 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, or email rayofhopekitchen@gmail.com. As a registered charity, it can provide tax receipts for donations greater than $10.
