Souls Harbour feeds hundreds in annual New Year’s Eve dinner in Halifax

Souls Harbour offered hundreds of meals to people in Halifax on Wednesday.

Hundreds flocked to Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Halifax for a warm meal as part of the charity’s annual New Year’s Eve dinner.

For 15 years, Souls Harbour has helped provide holiday dinners to women, men and children in the community.

“We are gathering to celebrate and to bring happiness and hope to everyone in our community,” says Ken Porter, co-founder and chief spiritual officer.

“Usually, we feed between 200 to over 300, sometimes up to 400.”

Souls Harbour offered a turkey dinner from noon to 3.p.m. on Wednesday.

The charity has nine locations across Nova Scotia, each of which served holiday meals this year.

Porter says they’ve served more than 1,000 meals combined.

“It’s not just the food or a little gift. It’s more about the community it represents. And hope and just sharing something together with the community. No matter what your background or current struggles are, it’s a really positive feeling to get together,” he says.

“We say faith, hope and love. At Christmas, it’s about our faith. And then New Year’s seems to be about hope (and) hope for the new year. And so hopefully that’s how people will feel today.”

Guylaine Savard attended the dinner and says she enjoys the sense of community it brings.

“It’s good to come here, to come and socialise with people and to have a dinner, that’s for sure,” she says. “(Whether) its New Year’s Eve, Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving, it’s good to have a turkey dinner and to share with everyone.”

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