Hundreds of people in Nanaimo will get a hot Christmas dinner, served with love, thanks to the local Salvation Army.

Phillipe Lavoie, food program manager at the organization's New Hope Center, says the need has never been greater than it has been this year. Lavoie says the New Hope kitchen served a record 10,000 meals last month.

Unfortunately, he says the pandemic means those meals can only be served take-out style:

That means turkey with the trimmings and desert will be served in biodegradable containers this year, for pick up on Dec. 23. On Christmas Eve, volunteers will deliver hot dinners to the homes of isolated seniors.  Lavoie expects close to 500 Christmas dinners will be served. He says each dinner is more than a hot meal:

The Salvation Army's meal service in Nanaimo is run with the help of volunteers and students from Vancouver Island University's Culinary Arts Program.