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A Winnipeg soup kitchen that’s been helping to feed the city’s homeless and vulnerable population for more than a century says it’s now in need of some help of its own.

Lighthouse Mission needs to raise tens of thousands of dollars to replace a broken boiler in their 106-year-old building on Main Street.

Without it, the not-for-profit says it won’t be able to stay open this winter.

“This couldn’t have come at a worse time,” said Lighthouse Mission’s Beverly Ajtay, in a release Wednesday.

“We are supposed to be a warm, safe place for those in our community to receive meals, love and spiritual care and right now we are not able to provide that warmth.”

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Lighthouse said their current boiler was put out of commission over safety concerns following a recent inspection that found a significant leak.

Initial estimates put the cost of a new boiler between $45,000 and $58,000.

“This was unexpected,” said Ajtay.

“We don’t have the extra finances in the budget needed for this.”

Lighthouse Mission feeds 300 people a day — an average of 11,000 meals a month — and extends its hours during the winter months to provide a place for vulnerable people to warm up.

Donations can be made online at lighthousemission.ca or by calling 204-943-9669.

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