Image Credit: FACEBOOK/The Mustard Seed New Life Community
September 04, 2018 - 2:44 PM
KAMLOOPS - An outreach organization in Kamloops has merged with an Alberta company to help broaden services in the city.
New Life Community will now be known as The Mustard Seed New Life Community, and former interim director of New Life, Kelly Thompson, says none of it was planned.
"To be honest, it came about as more of an accident than anything, we weren’t looking to merge nor were they with us," he says. "But when Stan (Dueck) retired as director, we wanted to find another."
Dueck had been the long-time executive director of New Life Community, and announced his retirement earlier this year. Thompson says New Life made contact with The Mustard Seed to see if they could recommend anyone to fill the role. After some discussion, Thompson says the two organizations had very close goals and eventually ended up merging. The merger was effective over this weekend.
"With the two organizations as one, we're a lot stronger in a lot of areas," Thomson says.
Thomson adds that The Mustard Seed will bring expertise in housing and homelessness, and the organization has spoken with other agencies in town about where the gaps are in services. The Mustard Seed New Life Community will focus on where those gaps are and how to fill them.
Thomson couldn't elaborate on where he thinks those gaps are right now, as he doesn't want to step on any toes.
There was no employment lost during the merger, and Thomson says he wants to assure people who donate money or items to New Life that those donations will stay in Kamloops and won't be spread to the other Mustard Seed locations in Alberta.
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