Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter
Over 245 West Islanders drove up to the “drive-thru” food drive held on Sunday with their vehicles loaded up with food to help restock West Island food banks. The drive-thru was hosted by YMCA West Island and the Table de quartier sud de l’Ouest-de-l’Île and was held at the entrance of the Olive-Urquhart Sports Centre in Pointe-Claire.
Donations from the event will be shared with West Island Mission (WIM), On Rock Community Services, West Island Assistance Fund (WIAF) and La Maison Entre Familles collectively covering the four corners of the West Island.
“People have been generous, its been awesome,” On Rock founder Kim Reid told The Suburban as car number 245 drove up. “This food will serve families across the West Island. This was a good haul.” Volunteers showed up in the cold and rain for the four-hour long drive to help sort food and unload vehicles. Some volunteers stayed longer to help fill up the food-bank trucks once the collection was over.
“Its cold, but we are happy to be here, happy to help,” Alexandre Beaulieu, On Rock volunteer, said to The Suburban as he was helping a family unload their vehicle. When the fall season collections are fruitful, the additional stock flows into the winter holiday season. “This is the beginning of that season (the holiday season). Once people see this food drive, they think okay, we have to start ramping up and that’s a good thing and we need it.”
According to West Island Mission’s Executive director, Suzanne Scarrow, the number of food bank users surged in the West Island as a result of inflation while donations are down for the same reason. “We are adding 3-5 recipients a week and are receiving a high volume of new walk-ins looking for immediate food.” Thousands of West Islanders depend on food banks for survival or to make ends meet. Food bank operators have noticed more elderly, single persons and employed persons who cannot survive on their salary alone as a result of rental and mortgage rate increases and inflation. n