FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
– Thursday, December 12th, 2024 –
Community Members Can ‘Come Home’ For Christmas At UGM’s Christmas Meal
Union Gospel Mission is hosting its 81st annual Christmas Meal in Vancouver and New Westminster
(Vancouver, B.C.) – Community members experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction, are invited to ‘come home’ to Union Gospel Mission (UGM) for its annual Christmas Meal this year, on December 14th. A beloved organization in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for 84 years, UGM is prepared to welcome over 2500 people to enjoy a Christmas feast amid friends on Saturday.
“For a lot of community members, UGM has been a part of their lives for years, with staff knowing their names, their stories, and their struggles,” said Sarah Chew, spokesperson for Union Gospel Mission. “The Christmas Meal is an opportunity for everyone to gather and reconnect over a delicious meal — much like a family.”
Naomi Gabriel and her 11-year-old daughter have been going to UGM’s Christmas Meal for years. As a single mom living in the Downtown Eastside, Gabriel said the Christmas Meal and having dinner regularly at UGM has helped her immensely.
“At the Christmas Meal I don’t have to worry about food for my daughter and I,” said Gabriel. “We get to see our family and friends at UGM, enjoy a delicious dinner, and just focus on being together to celebrate the holidays. That’s such a relief.”
The meal will feature 2,000 lbs of turkey, 450 lbs of stuffing, 750-800 lbs of mashed potatoes, 260 litres of gravy, 750-800 lbs of vegetables, 250 litres of cranberry sauce, and 525 pies. Food will be served from 11am-4pm, at UGM’s main location in the Downtown Eastside, the Women and Families Centre, and the New Westminster Resource Centre.
Every meal has been sponsored by someone’s generous donation — noted by the signed placemat under every plate. The holidays can be a time where isolation, depression, overdoses, and even deaths increase for folks experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction. Having a warm place to come in out of the cold where people are happy to see you and connect with you can change someone’s Christmas—and maybe their life. This Christmas Meal, UGM invites people to come as they are, knowing they’re going to be among family.
MEDIA EVENT DETAILS
Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024
Time: The media availability window will be from 10:50am-12:30pm.
Where: 601 E Hastings Street, Vancouver
- Please RSVP to schew@ugm.ca
- At the event, please check in at the media table in the lobby; media will be escorted into the dining hall.
- Both Sarah and Naomi will be available for interviews.
CONTACT
Sarah Chew
Media Relations Specialist
Cell: (604) 996-1417
schew@ugm.ca
ABOUT UNION GOSPEL MISSION
Union Gospel Mission has been feeding hope and changing the lives of men, women, and families for over 80 years. Through its ten locations in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and Greater Victoria, UGM offers an intentional continuum of care through outreach, meals, emergency shelter, alcohol and drug recovery, affordable housing, and career development. The heart of UGM is to demonstrate God’s abundant love, and provide opportunities for healing, transformation, and integration into healthy communities and toward brighter futures. To learn more, visit UGM.ca.
