Mélissa Gélinas LJI Reporter

The Lièvre Food Bank, located in Buckingham, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure food security for all. It offers several services, including emergency food assistance, a collective and community kitchen, a community table, a community garden, and more.

In recent years, the food bank has continued to welcome record numbers of people. “We receive over 1,000 people per month who come solely for emergency food assistance services (basic food boxes),” said Anne Mercier, Executive Director of the Lièvre Food Bank.

Between January and March 2025, a total of 1,806 meals were served at the community table to a total of 1,685 people, according to the statistics collected. In addition, over 42% of the clientele is made up of young children. Statistics for the 2024-2025 fiscal year show that more than 5,354 children used the food bank’s services, a situation considered worrisome, according to Mercier.

In addition to this reality, the organization is struggling to provide. “One of our biggest problems is the lack of government funding,” Mercier emphasized. “We currently receive more money from citizens in the form of donations, so there’s a huge imbalance. People here work extremely hard to serve everyone.”

To help with the situation, $38,000 was donated by Buckingham City Councillor Edmond Leclerc. This allowed for the renovation and refurbishment of the community kitchen. “Mr. Leclerc is very committed to his community,” commented Mercier. Furthermore, the opening of the new store, Saveur et Bonheur, will also contribute to generating additional profits for the organization. Healthy and balanced meals at low prices will be sold to the public. “We will also sell kitchen accessories made by local artisans,” explained Mercier. “The goal is to exchange services. We are very proud of our project, despite all the preparation it requires.”

Photo: Community kitchen at the Lièvre Food Bank (May 15, 2025) (MG) Photo: Mélissa Gélinas