On Rock

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The annual spring drive-thru food drive outside the Olive-Urquhart center in Pointe-Claire, hosted by the YMCA, kicked off the post-holiday season collection of non-perishable food items to help stock up food banks serving all areas of the West Island.

Dozens of vehicles stocked up with food donations were unloaded by volunteers as West Islanders drove up to the drop off point located front and centre of the lot’s roundabout and the items were sorted on a table with marked sections directly at the sports centre’s front entrance.

“Everything counts, even one tub of peanut butter or pack of pasta. We appreciate all donations,” YMCA St-Laurent representative Corey Oliver said to The Suburban. “People tend to think of food drives during the winter holidays, but spring is another time when food banks need to replenish,” West Island Y site manager Nadia Garofalo told The Suburban.

On Rock community services representative Kayla Reid explained to The Suburban that spring drive stock-ups are critical for students who rely on school-based food programs to curb hunger. “During the year, we have many programs that run to get food into the hands of kids, but when they go home for the summer, they don’t have those same resources.”

“Without the in-school food program, once the school year ends, families need more food security support at home,” TQSOI Community network project coordinator, food security Eve Lemaire St-Gelais said.

“Hunger does not take a vacation. Now is a good time to stock up and the reality on the ground is that we need to stock up all year round,” West Island Mission executive director Suzanne Scarrow told The Suburban.