For the last 20 years, there has been a program in Red Deer which delivers lunches to schools for kids who may not have one otherwise.

When the Mustard Seed came to Red Deer in the summer of 2016, 250 lunches were being made, and these days its closer to 380 lunches delivered to about 30 local schools.

Managing Director of the Mustard Seed Byron Bradley explains how the lunches get to the students in need.

“Volunteers come in every morning and start making sandwiches at 7am, with fresh products from some amazing businesses here in town, then we have volunteers who deliver the lunches…teachers and administration at the 31 schools identify the children who are in need of lunch. For many of them, it is their first meal of the day.”

The Mustard Seed in Red Deer received a gift from the Scottsville Auto Group on Dec.18, who donated a Nissan cargo van to the Seed.

The new van will travel around the community picking up donations from about 18 different businesses.

Bradley says the lunch program is also funded by the agency's annual Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser which takes place on February 24th.