Links to the breadcrumb trail
While their services are in greater demand, some are lacking volunteers, while others find it more difficult than ever to store basic groceries.
Author of the article:
• Montreal Gazette 
The Welcome Hall Mission employee, Hans St. Just, pushes food bags through a door equipped with a plexiglass protective shield in Montreal on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Photo by Allen McInnis /Montreal Gazette
Article content
As the coronavirus crisis persists, Montreal food banks are adapting their operations to the new reality. While their services are in greater demand, some are lacking volunteers, while others find it more difficult than ever to store basic groceries.
advertising
This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
With more Montreal people unemployed and facing hard times, Montreal Mayoress Valérie Plante announced Tuesday that the city would contribute $ 1.1 million to an emergency fund set up by Centraide, with some of the money on boards goes. The province also announced a $ 2 million contribution to panels.
The West Island Assistance Fund, based in Roxboro, saw demand rise 15 percent last week.
“We are seeing 20 to 25 new families, but at the moment we are not short of food,” said Nathalie Béland, operations manager. “But the longer this (the crisis lasts), the more people we expect, and we will likely miss some basic things like flour, eggs, sugar and milk.”
She added that after school the chalkboard needs items it normally doesn’t have on hand to serve as snacks for kids, like fruit cups and granola bars.
advertising
This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
The organization posted a message on its Facebook page asking for fruit juice, flour, salt, tea, cans of tuna and salmon, eggs and cookies. Other popular items are shampoo, laundry detergent and dish soap.
Béland said the organization needed volunteers too.
“The problem is that a lot of our volunteers are seniors because they are the ones who have most of the time,” said Béland. “We now have six volunteers who are missing, and we can’t just replace them because people have to be trained.”
Daniel Rotman, right, Executive Director of the Depot Community Food Center, is putting together food baskets with volunteer Tom Snabl in 2018. The center is no longer hiring volunteers, in part because of the risk of spreading the coronavirus to customers. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette files
In the Depot Community Food Center in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, the crisis has changed the way people are supplied with food. The depot is no longer accepting volunteers and is now only serving food by appointment rather than serving those who enter the center on Somerled Ave. The emergency baskets have been moved from four days to six weeks to limit the number of people made trips to the blackboard.
advertising
This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Executive Director Daniel Rotman said the depot, with no volunteers to handle the food, prefers to store smaller portions to take the strain off staff so they don’t have to split large containers of beans or oats into family portions, for example. However, it was more difficult to find these items in smaller containers.
“We’re definitely having trouble getting our food, ”he said. “We have to go to dealers instead of waiting for delivery because the delays are long.”
Rotman said the depot is not asking for food donations because of possible contamination, so it will have to purchase these items, adding to the overall financial burden. The center is asking for financial contributions to find out how it can transform its operations during the crisis.
advertising
This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
The Welcome Hall Mission employee, Hans St-Juste, pushes food bags through a door equipped with a Plexiglas protective shield in Montreal on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Photo by Allen McInnis /Montreal Gazette
The model for food spending – which is distributed between 4,000 and 6,000 people – is about to change, Rotman said.
“We have a debate about how we deliver the food,” he said. “We would like to switch to exclusive delivery, but one of the questions is whether we should use (back) volunteers.”
Rotman said volunteers would make the job easier but also increase the chances of spreading the virus to customers, many of whom have health problems. It is also difficult to rely on volunteers because if stricter lockdown measures are in place, many may not be allowed to leave their homes.
The Welcome Hall Mission, which has a food basket program, is also changing the distribution of food. On its website, the organization says it has closed its market in Montreal North and is now only handing out baskets at its St-Henri location. Those who receive the baskets will have to wait outside the building to receive them.
advertising
This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
The crisis is also changing the way meals are delivered to children at risk. The Breakfast Club of Canada was unable to offer breakfast in schools; General Manager Tommy Kulczyk said the program will be adjusted and he expects to announce a new delivery method for breakfast in the coming days.
twitter.com/jasonmagder
facebook.com/jasonmagderjournalist
![Schwartz General Manager Frank Silva wraps a sandwich with smoked meat to take away at the Montreal restaurant on March 24, 2020.]()
Brownstein: Will take-away start for ailing restaurateurs?
![]()
Coronavirus: Mayor Plante announces help for Centraide’s emergency fund
![]()
COVID-19: Stressed? “A glass of wine can help,” says Legault
Notice to readers: We know the speed and volume of messages related to the coronavirus are overwhelming and a little scary. To help with this, each day we will dedicate a reporter from the Montreal Gazette who will devote his time to synthesizing the most important coronavirus-related news, particularly those related to life in Montreal and Quebec. Follow their updates on March 24th right here. You can always find all of our coronavirus-related news here: montrealgazette.com/tag/coronavirus.
Sign up for our new local coronavirus reporting email newsletter here: montrealgazette.com/coronavirusnews.
Share this article on your social network
advertising
This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.
By clicking the registration button, you agree to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300
Thanks for registering!
Remarks
Postmedia advocates a lively but civil discussion forum and encourages all readers to share their thoughts on our articles. It can take up to an hour for comments to be moderated before they appear on the site. We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful. We turned email notifications on – you will now receive an email when you’ve received a reply to your comment, there’s an update on a comment thread you’re following, or when a user you follow follows comments . Check out our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to customize your email settings.
Comments are closed.