West Island Mission sees even more demand at 2nd annual Porch to Pantry food drive
The West Island Mission hosted its second Porch to Pantry campaign Sunday amid increasing demand. The non-profit hopes to combat and raise awareness around food insecurity.
Executive director Suzanne Scarrow says the Mission and its campaign, which gathers food donations, follow the motto “in the community, for the community, by the community.”
"We've taken the challenge out," she said.
"You know, you're in the grocery store, you want to pick [food donations] up, and it ends up sitting in your car for three weeks before you have the opportunity to drop off. We're now coming to the community and picking it up off of the porches."
The event kicks off the Mission's holiday drives and requires major effort on the ground, as 15 teams of volunteers — including Scarrow and her son Robby — hit the streets of Pointe-Claire by car in search of bags with non-perishable goods.
Each bag will go on to feed one of roughly 1,000 individuals in need.
Scarrow says the non-profit's growing database is a clear sign of the challenging times.
"Just after covid we were at about 250 families, which felt like a lot. We're now up over 400 … 35% of our current database are senior citizens living below the poverty line — fixed income pensioners who can't make ends meet," she said.
The Mission prides itself on offering an experience that empowers its visitors, whether they stop by once a week or once a month.
"Clients will come in, they shop for what they want, need, and like for their families and they make the choices. It's not for us to make the choice. You get to choose what kind of soup you like. You get to choose which vegetables and if you don't like it, you don't take it," said Scarrow.
Keeping tabs on the stock in the warehouse is another major part of the operation that requires five staff members and 50 volunteers per week.
Sharon Ryan, who has volunteered with the West Island Mission for nearly 12 years, acknowledges the group effort.
"We all have our different ways of helping out ... I normally help with stocking the shelves. We have people who date the food and we have people who deliver," said Ryan.
While there's a way to go before the food make it into the hands of all those who need it, the Mission looks forward to a day when they are no longer needed, and it can close its doors.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump will nominate Matt Gaetz as attorney general, Tulsi Gabbard as national security director
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will nominate Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general, putting a loyalist in the role of the nation's top prosecutor.
The Canadian border is an 'extreme vulnerability,' says Trump's pick; Miller predicts 'tough' talks
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says he agrees with the incoming American border czar that there will be 'tough conversations' ahead.
Dave Coulier, 'Full House' star, has cancer
Dave Coulier, an actor and comedian who found fame as Uncle Joey on "Full House," has revealed he has been diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer.
Overwhelmed families surrendering custody of their children to CAS
Overwhelmed families in Ontario are having to surrender their children to the Children's Aid Society, and according to the society, the residential crisis is part of the problem.
BREAKING Republicans will retain House majority, CNN projects, completing GOP’s dominance of Washington
Republicans have secured their monopoly on power in Donald Trump’s new Washington, retaining their majority in the House of Representatives, CNN projected Wednesday, after picking up seats in California and Arizona and ushering in a dramatic new era of right-wing populist rule.
Guns and drugs seized from organized crime group linked to Mexican cartel, RCMP say
Members of the RCMP’s federal police say they have arrested three men in B.C. for their alleged role in a “transnational organized crime group” connected to Mexican drug cartels plotting to import cocaine into Canada.
Testing confirms B.C. teen infected with Canada's first human case of avian flu
Federal health officials have confirmed that a B.C. teen who is currently in hospital has Canada's first human case of H5N1 avian flu.
This Canadian airline will adopt Apple's new AirTag feature to help recover lost baggage. Here's how
Apple announced that a new feature, 'Share Item Location,' will help users locate and recover misplaced items by sharing an AirTag location with third parties including airlines.
'You couldn't open the door': Concerns over awareness of and access to Tesla emergency latch after 4 killed in Toronto, 5 killed in Wisconsin
When a Tesla crashed on Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto last month, the first people on scene knew there were occupants inside but couldn't immediately get them out.