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Pierrefonds food bank in dire straits after string of bad luck

Click to play video: 'West Island charity needs new van'
West Island charity needs new van
WATCH: The community food bank On Rock in Pierrefonds serves hundreds of local and refugee families in need. But as Billy Shields reports the group's van is no longer working, leaving volunteers to drive their own cars to deliver food baskets to needy clients. Global's Billy Shields reports – Feb 2, 2018

The past two weeks have certainly been trying times for On Rock president Kim Reid. First — he received a phone call saying the roof of the Pierrefonds food bank was caving in. Water had melted on the roof and was seeping through a massive leak.

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“It was a huge mess,” Reid said.

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A week later, the van the organization uses for deliveries broke down. The mechanic’s diagnosis: get a new van. Reid has been relying on the generosity of On Rock’s roughly 100 volunteers to make food deliveries to the needy people who use the service.

“We’re trying to figure out how to continue,” he said.

More people are using On Rock’s services than ever before — the group had to institute a waiting list to deal with the influx of refugee families they serve. Currently some 300 refugee households are On Rock clients.

On Rock’s president said the West Island food bank needs double the warehouse size. Billy Shields/Global News

On Rock is asking the public for any assistance it can get in the coming days. Reid said the organization needs to double its warehouse space in order to effectively continue to deliver its services.

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