Food drives faring well as demand for assistance increased this year

While the COVID -19 pandemic has impacted demand on West Island food banks, at least they will be able to deliver support during the holidays with the help of volunteers and donations.

“This year versus last year, we're still seeing a large increase. Food assistance is still in demand,” noted West Island Mission (WIM) executive director Suzanne Scarrow.

“I think some people have been holding on a little bit too long. Waiting for the pandemic to end and potentially living on credit and not taking care of their business. This year we're getting a sense of urgency and desperation more so than last year, which is scary.”

On top of their regular clientele of around 250 families, WIM will hand out an extra 40 food baskets this month, with each holding around $200 worth of food, including a turkey and fresh vegetables.

Instead of having about 200 volunteers prepare holiday food baskets in a local gym and then load cars to deliver food baskets door to door, WIM asked people to pick up their food baskets in person due to pandemic concerns last year.

This process proved to be efficient and will be used once again this month, and will likely become the norm post-pandemic, Scarrow said.

Though about 50 shut-ins will have WIM baskets delivered with the help of a corporate partner in about two weeks, Scarrow noted.

The community at large can stay involved and help make a positive impact by donating food and goods, Scarrow said.

Parents who have registered will be invited to select donated toys at a local church on Dec. 11 as part of WIM'S annual giveaway event that launched in 2018.

“They do the shopping for their children and they take those gifts home and wrap them and put them under the tree,” Scarrow said. “Our whole goal around the holidays is to bring a little joy, put some smiles on faces.”

On Rock Community Services, based in Pierrefonds, will prepare baskets — including turkeys — for about 260 families this year. That's up about 50 families from PRE-COVID times but down from about 300 helped out last December, noted founder Kim Reid.

“The food drives we are doing right now are doing gangbusters,” he said.

The plan is to have baskets picked up outside their facility on Dec. 18, as they were last year due to the pandemic.

Some On Rock baskets will be delivered to people who have mobility issues.

With the arrival of the Omicron variant of COVID -19, Reid said he wonders if Quebec invokes stricter measures how it might affect the food bank's efforts.

The Roxboro-based West Island Assistance Fund usually prepares over 500 Christmas baskets each year.

Roya Jaffari, executive director of West Island Citizens Advocacy, said about 40 baskets will be prepared for their clientele, many of whom are in their housing program. Food donations to WICA are down slightly this year, she noted.

Local municipalities are helping collect donations as well.

On Sunday, Kirkland is hosting a zero-contact food drive.

Bagged food items placed in the trunk can be delivered to Bénévoles Park (18180 Elkas Blvd.) between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. or at the Kirkland Sports Complex (16950 Hymus Blvd.) between 1 and 3 p.m.

Non-perishable items, to help

replenish local food banks, can be placed in specially marked shopping carts at the Pierrefonds Library until Dec. 15.

These food banks are an integral part of our community. But it's also important to look at the bigger picture and consider what the various levels of government

can do to tackle and improve on societal issues such as affordable housing, access to family medicine and food insecurity.