MONTREAL – Every day, the workers at Complexe Le Partage are tasked with adapting to the changing face of poverty in Quebec.
Since the beginning of the global economic meltdown in 2008, volunteers and administrators at the South Shore food bank have seen a drastic rise in the amount of working families who need its services while dealing with a steep decline in donations.
“We’re starting to see homelessness off the island of Montreal, which is a new and difficult challenge for us,” said general manager Cathy Lepage. “And with the cost of food on the rise, we’ve had a 30-per-cent spike in demand for our services.
“Mostly it’s working families who can’t make ends meet. It’s definitely not something we’re used to seeing, but we are more determined to help these people now than ever.”
Like most food banks, Complexe Le Partage also offers clothing, emergency financial aid and the potential for employment to the 7,000 people it serves every week.
A typical day at the organization presents challenges as varied as finding work for newly arrived Canadians while teaching young mothers the value of proper nutrition for their children.
The La Prairie-based complex has made an effort to serve its clients healthy and locally grown produce through the Bonne boîte bonne bouffe program, which won the food bank a Centraide award in 2010.
“It’s amazing because in the summer almost 100 per cent of the food we give to our clients was locally grown,” Lepage said. “It’s been a revelation.”
As more families in the region depend on the help of the complex’s 19 workers and its 40-plus volunteers, Centraide – Montreal’s central fundraising organization – has been instrumental in keeping the food bank alive. In 2011, Centraide gave $35,000 to Complexe Le Partage.
“With uncertainty around every corner, at least we know we can count on the generosity of Centraide to keep our project rolling,” Lepage said. “In the face of these growing challenges it’s nice to know people are kind of enough to give.”
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