Clients of Riverside Mission may have to find food from other sources for the next two weeks because the organization is temporarily closing so it can do battle with cockroaches.
A sign on the front door and window of the Manitoba Street East building says that the building is being fumigated, which means the kitchen and dining room will be closed from Saturday, Sept. 24 to Monday, Oct. 3.
The re-opening will be just in time for the charity’s annual Thanksgiving Meal, set for Thursday, Oct. 6.
The Moose Jaw Express learned about the temporary closure — and because it’s due to cockroaches — after receiving an email from a concerned resident. The Express also confirmed the reason after speaking with Joe Miller, executive director of Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, which oversees Riverside Mission.
“The problem is an old building. And we need a better response to help us raise the funding for that new building,” Miller said in a brief phone interview. “Now we’ve got a problem that the health department is telling us we need to build a new building, so there’s a more of an increased sense of urgency.”
The Express will have a more comprehensive article about the situation next week, once Miller returns from a conference.
