The explosion in requests for food aid is forcing organizations to turn them down Familys for the first time in addition to 35 years. Meanwhile, other citizens use social networks to get food that will help them survive until the end of the month.
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“It’s really a disaster!” Last month, six families were unable to receive a food aid basket […]”This is the first time in 37 years that we have had to limit our resources,” lamented Tasha Lackman, general manager of the Community Food Center Depot.
The organization, which has been based in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district since 1986, offers the population food assistance in all forms, from monthly baskets to soup kitchens and cooking classes. In 2021, the organization provided 7,200 food baskets. In 2022, that number jumped to 10,000 baskets. This year, the organization already plans to distribute 19,000 hampers by December 31st. Demand is so great that the amount of food on offer was reduced by a third last year and since June registered people have received one basket per month instead of two.
Photo Marianne Langlois
“We used to cook around 150 meals a day, now we are.” [en] serves approximately 240 people […]”It’s a really huge increase,” says Sébastien Britton, head chef at Resto Dépôt’s soup kitchen.
The chef at Resto Dépôt poses in the kitchen after a very busy soup kitchen service. Photo Marianne Langlois
Last March, Le Journal spoke to the organization Racine Croisée, which provides emergency food aid in Montreal. A few months ago, the team feared they were reaching a breaking point that would force them to turn people away. Today this is their new everyday life.
“Our refrigerators are empty […] Every week people show up at the organization and we run out of food […] Currently there are up to 350 baskets, but we have to provide for 500 families,” explains Agnès Mbome, founder of Racine Croisée, who is already planning a fundraising campaign to continue helping people in need.
Across the province
Quebec is teeming with food aid organizations. Some, like La Bouchée generous, which distributes 1,000 food baskets every week, have huge queues outside their organization on distribution days.
The Resto Dépôt team prepares lunches that are served free of charge to people in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district. Photo Marianne Langlois
“This is our new reality […] “We don’t dare to imagine the next few months, we go one week at a time, we are afraid of the moment when we have to turn people away, it’s scary,” recalls Marie-Pier Gravel, deputy director of La Bouchée that is generous 2020.
The situation is so critical almost everywhere that requests for emergency food aid are even exploding on social networks. In fact, more and more families are turning to their community for help to get through the weekend or the end of the month. In Longueuil, the Spotted and Le P’tit hollow sites serve as a place of exchange between people who want to give and those who need a helping hand.
“The number of inquiries is five times higher than at the same time last year […] “There are already 40 families on the waiting list,” explains Steve Tessier, founder of P’tit Hollow, an initiative that helps people in need.
We are looking forward to the holidays
At Moisson Kamouraska and Moisson Estrie, we are already worried about the upcoming holiday season, which promises to be particularly “painful” this year. Currently, organizations already need to purchase food to meet needs.
“I really expect the demand for Christmas hampers to increase. We wonder how we will make it through the Christmas season […] When it comes to inflation, everyone finds it difficult to get by. We think we will receive fewer donations, it will be very intense,” explains Louise Chrétien, services coordinator at Moisson Kamouraska for 10 years.
Some places have already started planning Christmas hampers, others are still inviting those who are able to join in.
“Everyone can make a difference […] “A dollar received is a dollar we don’t have to run to get,” La Bouchée’s deputy director generously concluded.
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