Moncton’s Mobile One soup kitchen will make its last run Friday night, due to shrinking donations and an aging bus.

The service feeds about 140 people in need every day in the Greater Moncton area and has provided nearly one million meals in the past 10 years.

It also offers monthly food basket deliveries to people’s doors.

President Bruce Peacock says donations have dropped nearly 50 per cent this year. (CBC)

But president Bruce Peacock says Mobile One has been struggling for months and he has no other choice but to park the bus permanently.

“Did a lot of soul searching and basically the conclusion was, no we can't continue on. And we've got to close operations before we go into bankruptcy,” he said.

“Money is just not coming in as it used to be.”

Donations have dropped by nearly 50 per cent this year, making it a challenge to pay the $10,000 a month in operating expenses, said Peacock.

In addition, corrosion has eaten away at the entire undercarriage of Mobile One's 30-year-old bus.

It’s been “condemned essentially,” said Peacock.

Mobile One's bus, which is about 30 years old, is rusted underneath and would not pass its next inspection in September. (CBC)

“We're looking at $100,000 to replace it. And, that's if we can get a reasonably good second-hand vehicle.

“At the end of September, when the vehicle inspection comes again, it will just not pass.”

Community groups, such as emergency shelters, say many of their clients rely on the Mobile One bus, which travels to several set locations throughout the city where people in need know they can go to get a meal.

“It's absolutely saddening for our community,” said Danny Gallant, the manager of Harvest House.

“Moncton's going to be at a loss because of it.”

Kristy Tobin, who has worked for Mobile One for nine years, says it's heartbreaking to see the service end. (CBC)

Kristy Tobin, who has worked for Mobile One for nine years, making soup and sandwiches and looking after the books, says it’s “heartbreaking.”

The closure means Tobin and her husband, Mobile One’s only two paid employees, are also out of work.

“I'm not worried about us,” said Tobin. “We're more worried about the little people, because it's them who have to go to the bus every night, who depend on that meal to feed their family.”

The most difficult thing has been calling people who receive a monthly food basket to let them know there will be no more food coming, said Tobin.

“A lot of people cry,” she said. “I mean, some people they…don't physically have the way to get out. A lot of them don't have cars, where the pantry was going to their door to drop off the food.”

Still, Peacock is confident Mobile One’s clients will continue to be fed. There are other soup kitchens in the city, he said.