The call for solidarity launched on Saturday by the mayor of Longueuil bore fruit on Sunday; Many citizens and businesses mobilized to restock the Saint-Lambert warehouse, where food collected by the Grande Guignolée of the South Shore media was stolen.
• Also read: “It is absolutely despicable”: donations collected during the Grande Guignolée of stolen media in Saint-Lambert
Even citizens traveled from Montreal to donate, and members of the organization also wanted to help people in need.
“It's the least we can do after what we've heard, the theft and everything. “It's a time of year when we have to share, so I thought I'd come and bring a box here,” explained Jean-Marie Girard, the collections manager of South Shore Media Guignolée.
This citizen mobilization follows a call for solidarity from the mayor of Longueuil, Catherine Fournier, who on Saturday deplored on her Facebook account the theft of food that allegedly took place on the night of December 27th to 28th.
“In total, 50 boxes of food, new clothes and baby items were unscrupulously stolen at the expense of poor families. It is absolutely despicable,” she wrote.
In an interview with TVA Nouvelles on Sunday, Mayor Fournier said she was “shocked” by this theft.
However, she was pleased to learn “that there is a wave of solidarity, that people are answering the call and that a lot of them are doing so.”
The theft and vandalism of approximately 50 out of 400 boxes was a major blow to certain organizations.
“My God, let there be no such thefts for people in need. “This is not the time to take food out of their mouths, frankly it makes no sense,” said Denyse Harvey Bédard, president of Action Dignité Saint-Hubert.
TVA News
The initiator and 22-year-old president of the Guignolée, Jean-Marie Girard, estimates the total value of the stolen goods at around $10,000.
Anyone who would like to donate can do so by January 15th by clicking here.
Anyone who would like to make a donation in kind directly at the camp can ensure the presence of volunteers at any time by calling 514-993-2657.