Food Bank

On Rock food drive helped by Robert Baldwin MNA and Youth Council

Local Journalism Initiative / The Suburban / December 24, 2024 / Chelsey St-Pierre, Food Bank, Kayla Reid, On Rock

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A food drive took place last Thursday and Friday at On Rock food bank in Pierrefonds-Roxboro, helped by the Robert-Baldwin Youth Council led by the MNA for Robert-Baldwin Brigitte Garceau together with On Rock’s operations manager Kayla Reid.

When Garceau heard that one of the organization’s freezers broke down resulting in the loss of over 1200 kg of food, she immediately reached out to her Youth Council to get involved and support the food bank and help restore its losses. “Everyone answered the call,” Garceau told The Suburban. “We heard from On Rock that $80,000 worth of food was gone. We knew that we needed to act quickly.”

“When Brigitte proposed this food drive, we jumped on it immediately. One of the mandates of the Youth Council is to go into the community and help with initiatives led by the MNA,” Youth Council member Earl Corales said to The Suburban. “On Rock is close to home for me. I went to school with many peers whose families seek their services. I understand the important role that On Rock plays in our community. I was deeply concerned by the effects that this (food loss) might have.”

On Rock Founder Kim Reid explained to The Suburban that On Rock restored the majority of the loss in four days with the support of Sun Youth and the Montreal Milk Federation, but with a growing demand — additional supplies are always needed and much appreciated by recipients.

Throughout the six hour food drive that ran from 1:00 p.m. — 7 p.m. last Thursday and Friday, representatives from neighbouring organizations and elected officials visited the food bank in a show of support. Some of those present at the time of The Suburban‘s visit included: Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Jim Beis, Pointe-Claire Mayor Tim Thomas, and the Director of PCSM — Patrick Merrigan, Michel Leclair executive director of Projet communautaire de Pierrefonds, and Pierrefonds-Roxboro Councillors Benoit Langevin and Sharkie Tarakjian.

Food insecurity has soared with inflation and mortgage/rental increases. In Pierrefonds-Roxboro municipal taxes imposed by the Agglomeration has also had a significant effect on the abilities for families to afford both housing costs and food costs. The three West Island food banks play a major role in helping hundreds of families, seniors and other vulnerable persons in need. “These services are fundamental,” Garceau said. “We need to support them.” n

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Saint-Roch Food Bank Faces Overwhelming Demand, Halts New Memberships

Local Journalism Initiative / Nouvelles Parc-Extension News / March 22, 2024 / Dimitris Ilias, Food Bank, Memberships, Overwhelming Demand, Saint-Roch

Dimitris Ilias-LJI Journalist

Increasing numbers at a Montreal food bank reveal broader issues of food insecurity, say advocates, calling food banks a temporary fix that avoids addressing the root causes, according to Food Secure Canada.

The Cuisines et vie collectives Saint-Roch food bank, which typically supports about 180 families weekly, has recently seen its lines grow significantly, with demand outpacing supply.

The food bank had to call police for crowd control during a distribution event last month and has since stopped providing additional food to non-registered individuals, also pausing new memberships for two months.

Despite Quebec’s $30 million funding boost to provincial food banks, experts argue this does not tackle the underlying problem of increasing food insecurity among Canadians, emphasizing that food banks serve more as a temporary measure rather than a solution to poverty and food access issues.

Gloria Fernandez, director of Cuisines et vie collectives Saint-Roch, highlighted that food banks only offer a short-term relief without addressing poverty, the root cause of food insecurity. She pointed out the struggles faced by new immigrants and low-income families in accessing sufficient food.

Food Banks Quebec reported a significant rise in demand, with a monthly average of 2.6 million requests in 2023 and food banks frequently running out of supplies.

Wade Thorhaug, executive director at Food Secure Canada, criticized the reliance on food banks as a failure of public policy, suggesting they should not exist and that they allow politicians to avoid dealing with deeper socioeconomic issues.

Valerie Tarasuk, a food insecurity researcher, echoed these sentiments, stating that Quebec’s financial commitment to food banks does not address the root causes of food insecurity and could perpetuate a system that fails to reduce demand for food aid. Tarasuk stressed the importance of strengthening income supports to help those living on limited incomes manage the rising costs of living.

The Cuisines et vie collectives are a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals and families in the Parc-Extension neighborhood. Their goal is to foster a strong support network through various initiatives focused on food security and independence. These initiatives include collective kitchens, workshops, classes, food distribution, training, and social activities. Their aim is to empower community members, ensuring they have access to the resources and knowledge needed for a sustainable and fulfilling life.

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