The Mustard Seed updates cost per meal due to inflationary rising costs

Sep 7, 2022 | 2:12 PM

Due to the impact of inflation, The Mustard Seed says they have had to increase their cost per meal.

The charity states they are simultaneously witnessing a record number of people in need of their services and that meal programs are constantly being adjusted to meet the growing demand.

At the same time, officials with the organization say there is also a steady decline in overall donations and gifts in kind, which they rely heavily on to offset costs.

As a result of suppliers across Alberta and British Columbia increasing their prices, the Mustard Seed says they are being hit hard by the rising costs and have updated their cost per meal from $3.51 to reflect the actual current average cost of $5.38.

Last year, the charity claims they served over 700,000 meals across their locations with the need continuing to grow. Although the budget for meals this year was $1,873,441, they say they have surpassed the year-to-date food expense budget by $241,815 during the four months ending July 31.

Cleaning roadways

City of Red Deer to begin street sweeping on Sunday

Apr 10, 2026

mixed bag

Unemployment rate both up and down for Red Deer in March 2026

Apr 10, 2026

March 2026 Incident

Trial date set for Red Deer man charged in downtown assaults

Apr 10, 2026

“The Mustard Seed prides itself on serving balanced nutritious meals to our vulnerable clients and compromising that standard is not an option. We need your help to continue providing vital services to our vulnerable clients,” the charity said in a release.

As food storage can be a challenge, The Seed is accepting donations of gift cards to grocery stores.

Group meal sponsorships are also available, such as by a sports team, group of staff, church group or university club.

For more information, visit The Mustard Seed’s website or call 1-833-GIV-HOPE (448-4673).

by rdnewsNOW Staff

The Mustard Seed updates cost per meal due to inflationary rising costs

What's Trending