Photo Caption (Above): Community participants enjoy a brand new industrial popcorn maker donated to The Mustard Seed 96 Street Building
The Mustard Seed is celebrating 35 years of ministry this year. Every month we will post a story from our archives to highlight the amazing journey that has shaped our organization.
Excerpt from The Mustard Seed Newsletter dated Spring 2009:
One of the things that we try and do here at The Mustard Seed is try to make our drop-in times as normal for our community as possible. For those living with addictions, mental health issues, and homeless, feeling normal is not a luxury they experience very often, especially when living in shelters, rooming houses, or on the streets. That’s why we started having volunteers come in and make popcorn for those attending our Movie Night and Hockey Night in Canada – you or I may be able to afford to go to a new movie and spend money on popcorn, pop and candy, but the majority of The Mustard Seed’s community cannot. Our only issue was that we had hot air poppers that either didn’t work or that blew all of our breakers! When the youth from One! Youth group in Sedgewick, Alberta found out about our issues with the popcorn makers, they decided to hold a fundraiser, and were able to purchase a brand new industrial popcorn maker and donated it to The Mustard Seed.
For the staff and groups that come in to make popcorn, this has truly been an answered prayer. While on their way to come down to participate in a popcorn night themselves, the bus that the One! Youth were on broke down and they were unable to use this beautiful machine they had so tirelessly raised money for. Now while they didn’t make it down to our building that night, it certainly did not dampen their spirits. I was told that they spent their time waiting on the side of the road singing songs of praise and worship! Sometimes it’s easy to take things for granted like being able to spend money on snacks at the movie theatre. But being at The Mustard Seed on a popcorn night, watching kids and adults enjoy their hot bags of popcorn tends to put things into perspective. Thanks again to the kids from Sedgewick, and blessings to you all!
