MONTREAL, November 17th, 2015 – Moisson Montréal confirms that food insecurity is rising in Montreal, according to the 2015 Hunger Count, a survey conducted this past March by Food Banks Canada among all Canadian community organizations to determine how the need for food assistance is evolving. The number of recipients on the Island of Montreal has grown from 140,000 to 146,000 in the last year.
As compared to the 2014 Hunger Count, emergency food services in the form of provisions dropped by 8%, but the demand for meal, snack, meals on wheels and cooking collective services has lifted (22% increase). This change in how people suffering from food insecurity are assisted can be explained by the fact that Moisson Montréal improved its offer of products and services for organizations that run a meal program. Thanks to our Food Recovery Program in Supermarkets, Moisson Montréal is now able to distribute a greater quantity of meat to more than 70 community organizations providing meal services on the Island. This new supply of sought-after food items explains the increase in the number of meals served; organizations are now able to cook a greater variety of meals without exploding costs.
According to Julie Bourbonnière, Director of Communications, Marketing and Finance for Moisson Montréal, food banks must develop sustainable and innovative solutions in order to end hunger. “Although Moisson Montréal cannot control the rising cost of living or change the minimum wage, we do have the power to find solutions to social problems such as food waste. That’s why we seized the opportunity to recover unsold foodstuff in supermarkets and distribute it to those in need. In order to address growing needs, we need to continuously renew and innovate if we want to maximize our efforts.”
To view the 2015 Hunger Count Montreal: www.moissonmontreal.org/hunger-count
About Moisson Montréal
A non-profit organization founded in 1984, Moisson Montréal is today the largest food bank in Canada. Through its centre for collecting, sorting and distributing emergency food assistance, the organization allocates nearly 1,000 tons of food per month to close to 250 accredited community organizations on the Island of Montreal. In turn, these organizations provide food assistance to 146,000 people, including close to 35,000 children between the ages of 0 and 5. Moisson Montréal receives funding and supplies mainly through donations. Its operations require the collaboration of nearly 8,000 volunteers each year and result in the redistribution of about 13 million kilos of foodstuffs, representing a total value of close to $61 million. Moisson Montréal has won two awards for its Food Recovery Program in Supermarkets: the 2015 Corporate Citizenship (Supply category) award from Novae and the Élixir (Coup de Coeur category) prize from PMI. For additional information: www.moissonmontreal.org
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For information or interview requests, please contact:
Alexandra Carpentier
Communications Coordinator, Moisson Montréal
T. 514 344-4494, ext. 239
M. 514 701-4206
acarpentier@moissonmontreal.org