With school out, more kids are food insecure. These Montreal groups step in to fill gaps
Children make up 30% of those in need of food assistance in Montreal, group says
There's always a buzz of excitement in the air as the end of the school year approaches, with students dreaming of carefree summer days.
But for a lot of students and families, summer also means an end to free school meals and increased food insecurity.
According to Moisson Montréal, of the 300 food agencies it works with, children make up 30 per cent of those in need of food assistance in the city.
Without the assistance of school food programs, families are under increasing pressure, with multiple organizations stepping in to fill the gaps.
Every year, the organization launches its Hungry for Vacation fundraising campaign to help provide snacks for school-aged kids throughout the summer months.
Last year, Moisson Montréal was able to distribute 570,000 snacks via its partner organizations.
Executive director Chantal Vézina said the goal this time is to raise enough money to distribute 700,000 snacks to more than 10,000 children in Montreal.
"We increased the goal because we know that the needs are increasing also," Vézina said.
More families in need of food assistance
MultiCaf is a not-for-profit organization that offers food aid and other social services to residents of Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood, including a community cafeteria and solidarity grocery store.
The cafeteria offers free breakfasts and affordable lunches, while the grocery store allows members to shop at a discount.
"People can get 25 items at a lower price point, so $7 for 25 items," explained MultiCaf spokesperson Gabriella Marquez-Fry, adding that allowing people to pay what they can promotes dignity.
"It's not a handout," she said.
MultiCaf has also seen an increase in demand for its services over the years, as well as a change in clientele.
"We see more and more families that need our services," Marquez-Fry said.
According to Moisson Montreal's latest Hunger Count report, families make up 54 per cent of households needing food assistance, up from 47 per cent the year before.
To meet families' specific needs, MultiCaf has created a family room, which was inaugurated this week.
Marquez-Fry explained it's a safe space for families to access the social and food support they need.
It's designed to allow parents to meet with an intervention worker and learn about what resources are available to help them move forward, while their children play nearby.
"It removes the stigma," Marquez-Fry said.
MultiCaf is also gradually extending its opening hours, and the hope is to be open seven days a week by September to help give parents and other members more flexibility in their schedules.
"We really want to adapt to the changing realities of food insecurity," Marquez-Fry said. "It"s not just a specific demographic now — it touches students, it touches workers, it touches families."
'Gaps are getting deeper and deeper'
The Depot is another community organization in Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough offering a variety of food aid services.
In summer, that includes providing healthy snacks to kids attending seven day camps in the community.
The Depot executive director Tasha Lackman said it's an extension of after-school programs it offers during the year aimed not only at nourishing children but increasing food literacy skills.
"It's building opportunities for kids to learn about food, eat healthy food and try new things," she said.
Lackman said the programs are offered in part because not all schools in the neighbourhood have food assistance services to begin with. But ultimately, she said food insecurity is an issue that is linked to income.
"What we need are comprehensive changes to our system to create better social safety nets with … stronger income supports like welfare, like minimum wage, like unemployment insurance," she said.
She said until that's achieved, "organizations like ours are going to try and fill the gaps, but the gaps are getting deeper and deeper."
Poverty reduction plan addresses food security: minister
Chantal Rouleau, Quebec's minister responsible for social solidarity and community action, acknowledged the summer can put more pressure on families due to the absence of school programs, but she said several measures have been put in place to help, and food banks are accessible year-round.
The province's poverty reduction plan has a section devoted to food security alone — a first in Quebec , according to the minister.
A lot of the actions centre on urban agriculture, she said, with some gardens supplying solidarity gardens with fresh fruit and vegetables, while some organizations offer coupons that can be used in public markets.
The goal, she said, is to bring people closer to their food sources and to work with partners to give them the tools and means to use that food and know how to cook it.
Rouleau acknowledged that addressing food insecurity also means addressing other social issues. She said the Coalition Avenir Québec government's poverty reduction plan includes measures to improve access to housing, health care and a more robust social assistance program.
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With files from Paula Dayan-Perez