(Line of Hope)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

now in its 10th year serving community

Red Deer’s Line of Hope wants to keep feeding vulnerable, but needs help

Nov 18, 2023 | 6:43 PM

Line of Hope has now been feeding the many mouths of Red Deer’s most vulnerable for 10 years.

But if it can’t garner some new dedicated volunteers, and find more sources for regular donations, it may have to call it a day.

Organizer Dena Thomas recalls Line of Hope began with a simple idea, that was to feed and help people. It was 2014 and a group of friends had baked up a large batch of pumpkin pies, taking them hand out in Red Deer’s downtown.

A couple BBQs with the same idea later, and the group was told they’d have to find an actual venue, which they did at the Potters Hands soup kitchen (4935 51 Street, Red Deer).

“We are not affiliated with any churches or other agencies, and we don’t get any funding. Ever since the pandemic wound down, so have volunteers,” she says, noting two other core volunteers had to step back this year due to personal reasons.

Last seen Nov. 28

Missing: Jimmy Eagle, 27, of Maskwacis

12h ago

the situation is dire

Two deaths, possibly from cold exposure, raise alarm amid Red Deer shelter situation and plight of homeless community

Dec 12, 2025

Lace-'Em Up!

Red Deer's outdoor rinks returning for another season

Dec 12, 2025

“Public food donations are down, and what we get from the food bank is down because their number of users is up and stock is low.”

Initially, Line of Hope happened every Sunday, then for many years ran every second Sunday, and now is a monthly endeavor, but it’s mainly Thomas now — with a small handful of helpers — performing the Herculean task of making each service as successful as they are.

Line of Hope’s Dena Thomas. (Line of Hope)

Volunteers are relied upon to not only come and serve food, but provide hot dishes if possible. Thomas says each service would ideally have 10 volunteers present.

They usually try for soup, chili, casserole or pasta, she says. And it happens on Sunday because early on in its life, it was determined that the weekend was when the vulnerable population really didn’t have many meal options.

“We average about 100 guests per service. Then at our October service this year, we ran out of everything we had back-stocked,” she says. “Now there are more things available on the weekend, so that made our decision a few months ago easier to say let’s not do it every other Sunday.”

But when they do pull a service off, it can help sustain people for three to five days, she estimates, with food also able to be taken after the service in reusable containers.

Talking about why Line of Hope started and how unfortunate its permanent closure would be, Thomas points out something that may be overlooked by many.

“It’s not all people experiencing homelessness. We have a large number of guests who are low-income families, single people and those in subsidized housing. Some are getting things for lunch because they don’t have employment or enough for their kids,” she says.

“That’s the difficult part for me and where I struggle because that population isn’t using the soup kitchen or Safe Harbour. They rely on what we’ve been able to supply them all these years.”

To learn more about volunteering with Line of Hope, whose next service is Nov. 19 from 4-5:30 (sign-up sheet), visit its Facebook page.