Montreal food depot forced to turn people away amid increasing demand
The demand for services at the Depot Community Food Centre in NDG has gotten so high that, for the first time since it opened, the organization has had to start turning people away.
“I’m getting my food ready for the week for my menu,” said Community Chef Sebastian Britton, speaking to CTV in the non-profit’s kitchen on Monday. The centre used to be called the NDG Food Depot until a recent rebranding, but that’s not all that’s new.
“I’m also receiving my orders for the week,” he said. “So, today's nothing but a big prep day.”
It’s big prep for another big week, but that’s becoming the norm. Staff say a busy day would include around 200 prepared meals, but nowadays, that feels like a regular shift.
The Depot offers meals and access to an affordable marché to the community. The cost of living is rising among clients, management says, and it means the amount of people needing their services is climbing, too.
“It's our inability to help people that is very demoralizing and it makes it very, very hard,” said Houda Kerkadi, The Depot’s Community Engagement Coordinator.
“A lot of times, people had to make a payment that they didn’t expect. Sometimes, it would be because of an illness, or that their kid needed something … There’s a variety of cases.”
A rise in demand means The Depot can’t serve everyone, despite increasing its budget by half a million dollars this year.
To compensate, the centre has had to cut the market basket sizes by a third, and those who used to come twice a month, can now only come once.
“We see more people from all over the world, and migration is just going to continue. We see more people who have jobs, we see more students who can’t make ends meet, families, everyone is knocking on our door,” said Executive Director Tasha Lackman.
Moisson Montreal, one of the largest food banks in Canada, is also seeing a significant increase in demand.
“People who were accessing food banks are asking for more help. There hasn’t been an improvement,” said Maggie Borowiec, Moisson Montreal’s Director of Philanthopy.
“There haven’t been people who were just there temporarily, who were able to get back on their feet and not need the help anymore,” she added.
Last month, a garden was inaugurated in Pierrefonds-Roxboro to help supply a local food bank. Now, Moisson Montreal is doing the same thing.
Borowiec says it will allow the food bank to break free from sole reliance on donations, “to be actually be growing food dedicated to the food bank.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.