Grocery prices have been blooming, and that's led to wilted budgets.

For the Salvation Army in Swift Current, it's caused a few different headaches. Their Wednesday Night Community Meal is something that has gained a lot of popularity since firing back up again. With popularity, comes attendance, and with attendance comes more mouths to feed. 

While they have been able to keep up with the demand, the increase in grocery the bill has been noticeable for Arlene McKenzie, the community meal coordinator for the Swift Current Salvation Army. 

"Last night we had to put up extra tables," said McKenzie. "We had 125, maybe a few more, so it's tough to feed that many people a meal. We're usually hitting $250 for the meat alone, so it is a big expense."

Donations made to the Salvation Army do help to fund their meal efforts, with the majority coming from the Christmas Kettles for the year. 

McKenzie has been keeping track on a spreadsheet, charting the individual costs of the meals they offer. 

Salvation army Community  meal helpers from the ESL class in Swift CurrentEnglish Second Language students and Salvation Army staff from last night's community meal, where both parties came together to prep and serve the food.

"We've just started tracking each section of the meal and what it's costing," said McKenzie. "Because we do see the bills are just getting higher and higher."

In order to offset the increase in cost, the Salvation Army has begun accepting meal sponsorships. Starting at $500, they allow an individual or group to put their name on a community meal, in exchange for monetary support. 

"We've been very blessed that more than a couple of people have caught on to that," said McKenzie. "Our largest sponsors so far have been the Credit Union and W.W Smith Insurance."

Anyone who would like to help offer support, they can do so both with regular goods and cash donations. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a community meal they can ring up the phone to the Salvation Army by calling (306-778-0515).