An established link in the city’s social safety network could be unravelling.

The PIT Stop at the Kamloops United Church provides a meal every Sunday for the needy in Kamloops, feeding upwards of 130 people every week.

However, according to co-ordinator Diane Stuart, the system that ensures every meal comes off without a hitch is now dependent on too few people having to put in too many volunteer hours.

The meals are prepared by teams, Stuart said.

Just past noon on Sundays, groups like the Rotary clubs in the city, the local office of the provincial Ministry of Forests, the Interior Health Authority and other churches gather in the basement at 421 St. Paul St. and get out the food that is provided through donations and, to a large extent, the Kamloops Food Bank’s Foodshare program.

Stuart provides training to the teams, who are then on their own to plan the meal, chop the vegetables, set up the hall, cook, serve, clean up and lock up when they’re done.

“It’s all laid out for our volunteers,” Stuart said.

Her training involves orienting the teams to the church kitchen and hall, explaining the system and answering questions.

Right now, some teams are doing shifts monthly and Stuart would like to see their volunteering eased off a bit, so she’s hoping for some new teams to step up.

“This would be a good team-building venue for a business or an organization,” she said.

“If we had more teams, you might only have to do it once or twice a year.”

One problem the team system creates is it is not conducive to an individual wanting to volunteer.

“You just can’t come once in a while,” she said.

“We need teams to commit to being there during the year.”

Groups interested can call Stuart at 250-374-5196 or the church office at 250-372-3020.