June 9, 2025

This might be of a concern for the west enders. Every week we Helping the Homeless Group gives hot meals, etc. to over 300 + homeless in the West end Butler Park. We mostly know them by names & faces. And they’re greatful people. We call them our friends. But accross the street about a block east of Stony Plain Road, is where the Mustard Seed is now located. They feed around 50-60 people a day from mon-thurs from 9-4 p.m. so from Thursday night to Sunday before we come these people has no food to eat. I pass by there everyday & see a lot of new faces. I’m afraid that they will come to Butler Park on Sunday because they are hungry. And we will never refuse food for anybody whose hungry. As it is right now we are always short of food in spite of cooking 6 huge roasters of food already plus 400 sandwiches. We are not funded by any govt. Many times we the volunteers use our own monies to buy potatoes, carrots, etc. for cooking so others can eat too. But my worries are: 1. The new people who came to mustard seeds are not all from the west end. And the fights are often because they are very territorials. 2. We won’t be able to afford more food to feed them. 3. If you drive by Stony Plain Road & around 157 st. It is beginning to look like Hope Mission downtown where the homeless are all over the place occupying the outside sidewalks. And I wish there will be a proper place for them even behind the buildings where they can sit properly to eat, hang out & be treated with dignity & respect. 4. The businesses around there might shut down & the place will look like a ghost city full of zombies look alike people because of the effect of that deadly drugs the fentanyl or amphetamines. What solutions will there be to this ? Is it too late? Can we still do something? This is our community. They are human beings. Our brothers & sisters. Should I stop caring ? I’m no Mother Theresa but I care for the hungry. Esp those with small children, may not be homeless but struggling to buy food. God help us !