meals on wheels

Groundbreaking partnership to battle ‘food insecurity’ in West Island

Local Journalism Initiative / The Suburban / August 4, 2025 / Chelsey St-Pierre, meals on wheels, West Island Mission

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A groundbreaking collaboration between two West Island community organizations is about to change the face of food security in the region. West Island Mission (WIM) and Meals on Wheels have joined forces to create a shared kitchen facility, with operations expected to begin this spring.

West Island Mission is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing food assistance and other resources to individuals and families in need. The demand for its services has grown exponentially since its inception, leading to continuous expansion of programs and facilities to meet the increasing needs of the West Island community.

The Meals on Wheels program has been serving the West Island community since 1969, when it began operations in a modest church kitchen in Lachine. Over the decades, it has grown significantly, now operating with more than 600 volunteer shoppers, cooks, and drivers across multiple locations. Historically, the program has relied on the generosity of West Island churches to donate kitchen facilities, making this new dedicated space a significant milestone in its evolution.

This joint community initiative, which began with preliminary talks in 2022, represents a unique partnership where Meals on Wheels will sublease the space from WIM for five days per week, while WIM will utilize the facility for its community programs during the remaining two days. The facility was built through a collaborative effort, with Volunteer West Island contributing 75 percent and WIM contributing 25 percent of the resources.

“This kind of partnership is special and doesn’t happen often,” Executive Director of West Island Mission Suzanne Scarrow said to The Suburban. “The entrepreneurial mindset has been crucial in bringing this vision to life.”

The new kitchen facility aims to transform food security services in the West Island, particularly for homebound individuals. Meals on Wheels, which lost access to four of its kitchen facilities during the pandemic, will now have a permanent space to serve its current clients and work through its waiting list. Their clientele consists of individuals who are house-bound for various reasons, and this new facility will help ensure no one is left without access to nutritious meals.

For WIM, the kitchen will serve multiple purposes on its shopping days, including providing clients with light meals and conversation. “We will also be able to transform any food that we are in jeopardy of wasting from Moisson Montréal, our gardens, or community gardens,” Scarrow explained. “It’s not just about providing food – it’s about offering a human touch and recognizing access to food as a fundamental right.”

“Lynda Barrett and I have worked tirelessly to make it all come together,” Scarrow said, acknowledging the extensive effort involved in finalizing leases and various partnership agreements. Barrett, who serves as Executive Director of Volunteer West Island, has been instrumental in expanding Meals on Wheels services throughout the region, including previously establishing new kitchen locations in Dollard-des-Ormeaux. While currently awaiting final permits, the project is targeting a May 1 launch date for cooking operations.

The initiative will also create new volunteer opportunities through corporate partnerships, community members, and client involvement. More than just a food service facility, the space is envisioned as a community hub where people can gather, share meals, and break isolation. “This space will allow people to meet in a communal setting, creating connections that go beyond just providing meals,” Scarrow noted.

While the project’s official branding is set to be unveiled in March, community support has already been overwhelming. “The community has believed in us and been extremely generous,” Scarrow said. “It’s a dream that we envisioned during COVID, and it is finally becoming reality.” n

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Before the meals hit the wheels

Local Journalism Initiative / The Link / February 13, 2024 / meals on wheels, Montreal, Santropol Roulant

Meals being packed away in preparation for delivery. Photo Iris Ducournau

Justine Beaussier
Local Journalism Initiative

Located in the middle of the Plateau, Santropol Roulant adapted the concept of Meals-on-Wheels (or Popote Roulante) to deliver 115 to 130 meals, five days a week, to low-income individuals and those who suffer from social isolation.

In 1995, two workers from Café Santropol decided to create Santropol Roulant. The creation of the organization came from the desire to encourage employment and community involvement opportunities for Montreal youth.

The community food hub Santropol Roulant began as a branch of the nearby Café Santropol, however, after a few years, the organization became independent with the help of a growing number of volunteers and external donors.

Santropol Roulant has now grown to be a productive and creative place with its five collectives and numerous projects in schools or with other associations.

Susan Kazenel has been volunteering at Santropol Roulant since 1999. She currently volunteers in the kitchen making meals. She reflects on how the kitchen, since its origin, has quadrupled in size. “Sometimes I stop by the old place and wonder; ‘how did we do it,’” she says.

Clare Shuley, the fundraising and communications coordinator of the Santropol Roulant, explained that their mission works towards food security and social inclusion.

Before the meals hit the wheels, the kitchen adapts to every volunteer’s needs, as social inclusiveness is one of the association’s concerns. For instance, one of the volunteers is visually impaired and the kitchen is adjusted to his needs when he comes to volunteer thrice a week.

The meals are also adaptable and made according to the beneficiaries’ needs. They can, for example, be gluten-free or softer for those who have difficulty chewing. Meal recipients will call the organization as the volunteers cook around 9 a.m to 1 p.m., to choose the options they desire.

Once the meals are ready, a secondary team of volunteers enters the kitchen to pack the meals into boxes. Then, at about 3 p.m., the last round of volunteers will come to collect the meals in their Popote Roulante bags that they design themselves with the help of Protogear, a textile prototyping service. When the bags are filled, all delivery personnel leave Santropol Roulant to bike, walk or drive to the beneficiaries homes. The homemade meals are then distributed between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to recipients, where delivery personnel might stay for a quick conversation. Shuley explains that, for some beneficiaries, this meal delivery will be their only social interaction of the day. This moment can make a big difference to their daily lives, even if it is only a few minutes, she explains.

After Jitendra Desai lost his wife to cancer, he started developing complications with his heart; he was struggling with his day-to-day tasks. In 2012 Desai started utilizing the Meals-on-Wheels service thanks to a hospital social worker who recommended him to Santropol Roulant. The 84-year-old is also a vegetarian and has his meals catered to his needs.

“It is not only the food, it is also all the services they offer,” says Desai. “ The pizza delivery service was not operating but Santropol still delivered me my meal,” he says, referring to a very snowy day.

Santropol Roulant relies on a wide range of funding to sustain itself. The meals made daily cost around $17 each to make, however private foundations, individual donors as well as government grants, help alleviate their costs. Those who benefit from Meals-on-Wheels pay around $6 per meal they receive.

Another mission of Santropol Roulant is to fight for food security. Some beneficiaries with financial difficulties are able to benefit from a price reduction and pay for their meal at a subsidized price of $4.50. In some cases, the meals can even be free.

While all of these resources allow the Santropol Roulant to gain a little autonomy and visibility, it also relies heavily on volunteers to provide these services. Shuley highlights the fact that it is a great place for students who want to meet people and create intergenerational relations. It is a bilingual association, so French and English speakers are both welcome.

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