Centraide of Greater Montreal provides $1.7 million in emergency assistance to 36 organizations

One ​​in four people live in food insecurity situation on the island of Montreal.

One in four people live in a situation of food insecurity on the island of Montreal.

Centraide of Greater Montreal will support 36 community organizations involved in the fight against food insecurity, with emergency assistance of $1.7 million.

This sum should in particular allow organizations to buy more food to meet demand. The explosion of costs related to housing and groceries is creating enormous pressure on the community sector, explains Claude Pinard, President and CEO of Centraide of Greater Montreal.

This announcement comes at a time when food prices continue to climb and many households are struggling to make ends meet.

The prices of food products groceries jumped 11.4% from the same period last year, according to data released Tuesday by Statistics Canada.

“When there is too little left in the pockets of less well-off people to buy food and their costs are higher, they have no choice and must resort to to the services of organisms for food. »

— Claude Pinard, President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal

Each month, nearly 671,000 people receive food aid in the Quebec, or 34% more than before the pandemic in 2019, according to data from the organization.

One ​​in four people lives in a situation of food insecurity on the island of Montreal.

Workers, the elderly, alone and with reduced mobility, as well as asylum seekers and refugees, are increasingly turning to food aid, notes Centraide.

In addition, the shortage of volunteers and difficulties in recruiting staff complicate the operations of community organizations in the field.