UPDATE (Feb. 23, 2016): The Moncton Food Depot has offered to help the YMCA ReConnect program and will donate 10 boxes of non-perishable food that will fill the shelves.
Original story:
A few precious cans of food is all that’s left on the shelves at Moncton’s YMCA ReConnect program.
It’s not even enough to last the day let alone the rest of the month, according to Gillian Johnson, senior director of outreach and employment services at the YMCA.
“We are in need food, non-perishable food items for our emergency food pantry,” she said.
READ MORE: Young Moncton man shares experience growing up on the streets
The organization provides outreach services for people who are homeless or living in poverty. They hand out food, blankets and clothing to people such as Travis O’Brien, who arrived at the program a week ago.
O’Briend is one of many people at the program who never imagined he would end up living on the streets.
“I was a working-class citizen who paid his taxes and I had a very good life,” he said.
He had a full-time job, a family and a life until his addiction to painkillers took over and forced him onto the streets.
“I’ve called the shelters they have been full all last week,” he said. “With the colder temperatures it has made it very difficult for me. ”
ReConnect is doing what it can to help people in similar situations, but is so low on food reserves that it is rationing out peanut butter.
“We have to spread the wealth,” Johnson said. “Last year we had about 4,000 people come through our doors for drop-in.”
Johnson said it’s not only the poor economy lending to their food shortage. After the holidays, food donations tend to fall under people’s radar.
“It’s the time of the year, people forget sometimes after the Christmas craziness,” she said.
Not only food in short supply
ReConnect also tries to help people access permanent low-income housing, but the waiting list is long.
O’Brien said without an address, he can’t even get a welfare check from the Department of Social Development.
He is hoping to get a deposit for a room from ReConnect, so he can sleep indoors.
“This is my last hope, so I am here today to reach out to them and hope that they’ll help,” he said.