‘It's huge news': Moncton shelter receives extra funding for services
Leon Baker is in the Harvest House Atlantic office on High Street in downtown Moncton. (CTV Atlantic/ Derek Haggett)
The head of a Moncton homeless shelter was still ecstatic a day after announcing they would continue to provide meals and other services to the community.
'It's huge news,' said Leon Baker, Harvest House Atlantic executive director. 'We received a lot of phone calls from the community. A lot of inquiries from the people that we support and other agencies around that do the work that we do. Everybody was advocating and knew that this was an essential service that we could let go of within the Moncton area.'
Harvest House will continue to provide three meals a day and other services like laundry and showers to people who need it thanks to additional funding.
Baker said their Community Support Program will start again on July 1 and will run until Dec. 31 of this year.
Last week, Baker told CTV News the organization would stop providing meals and services to non-residents of the homeless shelter because they couldn't afford to feed the community.
Baker said it was costing around $38,000 a month to provide the extra meals and services, and the plan was to have it phased out by July 1.
Harvest House is partnering with the federal and provincial government and, through the support of the Greater Moncton Homelessness Steering Committee, will continue providing its program to people not staying at the shelter or their addiction recovery program.
The organization has received an additional $156,000 in funding which will get them until the end of the year.
The six-month extension of essential services starting in July includes:
breakfast, lunch, and supper seven days a week
access to sandwiches and water at door
laundry and shower services
referrals and case management support
overdose prevention and response
outreach services
access to an indoor area during extreme weather conditions
Barb Mackenzie
Barb Mackenzie looks at her weekly schedule in the pantry of the Ray of Hope Soup Kitchen in Moncton, N.B. (CTV Atlantic / Derek Haggett)
Ray of Hope Soup Kitchen manager Barb Mackenzie said they had an extra 20 to 30 guests for lunch this week, because it wasn't available a few blocks away at Harvest House.
She said her staff did well handling the extra crowd, but it was a bit of a challenge.
'That's excellent news. It's wonderful. However, it's only until December and who knows what's going to happen after that,' said Mackenzie. 'I'm pleased to hear that and I'm sure all the other kitchens are as well.'
Ray of Hope Soup Kitchen
A volunteer serves up lunch at the Ray of Hope Soup Kitchen on June 26, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Derek Haggett)
Baker was asked what happens after Dec. 31.
'That's the runway we have,' he said. 'We need now to put together a task team, a task group, a part of the Greater Moncton Homelessness Steering Committee, in order to look at food security, community services that we offer. How do we best offer it? Who offers it? What is the most cost-effective way that has the biggest impact on the community?'
On Wednesday, Baker made the announcement to staff virtually.
'Lots of applause, lots of smiles, a couple of personal messages from people,' said Baker. 'All around, so much positivity coming out of this.'
For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
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