Extra special Christmas gift for Vernon’s Upper Room Mission

VERNON – Christmas came early to Vernon’s local soup kitchen.

Thanks to two local businesses, the Upper Room Mission’s regular volunteers will get Christmas Eve off.

Rob and Lisa Ellis, owners of Rellish Transport Services, along with Jim Tennant of Save-On-Foods, stepped up to the plate and are sponsoring the Mission’s annual Christmas Eve dinner, spokesperson Lisa Anderson says in a media release.

Rob Ellis set up a Facebook page asking his friends to volunteer their time for the event, and it didn’t take long for all of the positions to be filled — from meal prep, decorating the dining room, serving, clean-up, and more.

Roughly 45 volunteers, including Mayor Akbal Mund, will be taking some time out of their busy day to help make sure everything is perfect for the special night.

“Rob has covered everything he possibly could for us. It is truly heartwarming that Rellish Transport and Save-On-Foods have planned and organized this entire meal. Our regular volunteers will get Christmas Eve off, and our staff will get to enjoy time with our guests,” Anderson says.

Dinner will include roast beef, along with bone-in ham, as well as all of the traditional fixings. Ellis also promises some very special surprises for the evening, Anderson says.

Approximately 200 people are estimated to be attending the Christmas Eve dinner at the Mission. Anderson wants people to know that anyone and everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the food, fellowship and festivities.

Backpacks donated by the community for the Upper Room Mission’s annual Backpack Campaign will be handed out at 4 p.m. with the help of a certain 'jolly' mystery guest. Dinner will be served at 4:30 p.m. They will also be having a Christmas Day Brunch from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and which is open and welcome to everyone. The Mission is located at 3403-27th Ave. in Vernon.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.