It’s ordinary, a sandwich. It is often the dish to which one turns in defeat; lack of time, inspiration or courage to go to the grocery store. But here, it is rather synonymous with goodness… and survival.
Like every Wednesday morning, about fifteen volunteers are busy in the basement of the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce church. In under 90 minutes, they can make between 450 and 700 sandwiches, Kirstie Jagoe tells me.
“But it’s huge!
– And that’s not counting all those that volunteers do at home…”
Every week, more than 3,000 sandwiches are delivered to nearly a dozen Montreal shelters, thanks to the organization Pain et plus (Bread and Beyond).
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Pain et plus relies on more than 400 volunteers.
It all started in 2020. Kirstie Jagoe was working in international development when her job was put on hold due to the pandemic. At the same time, Résilience Montréal (a day shelter for homeless people) launched an appeal for donations.
Why not pass the time by making sandwiches?
Today, Pain et plus relies on more than 400 volunteers. No one is required to get involved at a given frequency, we get involved only when it is possible to do so. On Wednesdays, you can come and cook in the basement of the church with food offered by the Lions Club or paid for by the organization. Alternatively, we can make sandwiches at home, in which case we provide the ingredients and put our creations in a cooler on Kirstie’s front porch.
On the menu: sandwiches with peanut butter, meat and cheese, tuna, eggs or other variations of our own…
Delivery to shelters is provided by volunteers from Monday to Friday. The organization also counts on the help of some fifteen schools whose students discover with joy the art of giving back. Moreover, children have drawn on the bags in which the sandwiches are packed this morning. On one of them, I read: “We care for you. »
We care about you.
“These sandwiches are a conversation starter,” says Kirstie Jagoe.
Many people are wary of those who live in a situation of homelessness. We understand them badly and we meet them too little. Kirstie works on the dialogue between this vulnerable population and the community. She believes homelessness can be made temporary rather than chronic. “It’s about implementing the right solutions with the right people and the right policies. »
Besides, isn’t it because of the lack of such policies that this community support is necessary?
There are those who say that we are only a bandage on an open wound. May be. But as long as people are bleeding, I’m not ready to take this bandage off! I also feel responsible for this problem. We need to talk about it, see it, not just accept it as part of city life.
Kirstie Jagoe, Founder of Pain and More
Kirstie Jagoe believes in prevention. In addition to sandwiches, Pain et plus offers “boxes of essentials” to newcomers and people leaving youth centers or shelters. Each box is designed around the needs of the individual; for example, you can find everything you need for the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom or pantry. Everything it contains has been donated by the community. And you don’t have to have a lot of money to contribute, a toothbrush received from the dentist is much appreciated, says Kirstie.
She shows me beanies lovingly knitted by donors, quilts with words of encouragement pinned to them, and a simple cookbook made by high school students.
“I’m just a vessel to put everyone’s talents to good use!” »
After 18 months of running the show without pay, Kirstie Jagoe has made Pain and more her job. She is particularly proud that this is an initiative that gives back to the year. The holidays bring more resources to organizations and shelters, but we need people who keep an eye on the grain the rest of the time too.
I watch the volunteers at work and am amazed by the diversity of the group. Young women, elders, shovelful smiles. Mimi and Stéphanie are respectively on their second and fourth visit. When I ask them why they are there, Mimi replies that making sandwiches at home sucks when you’ve tasted the group atmosphere! Stéphanie adds with a laugh that we don’t cook in silence here…
The joy of collective work, the needs it satisfies and the desire to combat the feeling of helplessness are all reasons given by volunteers to justify their commitment. Some, like Edward, have had a career in social services and continue to contribute despite retirement.
The work of a lifetime.
A pillar of the organization makes its entrance. For two years, Jeffrey Zaiser and his wife have been cooking 16 sandwiches a day, Monday through Friday. Why ? “Because it has to be done. Seriously, he adds that he hopes more people will join the initiative, since the needs remain immense.
Alex has been a volunteer since March. This week, she also baked cookies with a few friends, just to give people a little treat. She wants them to feel appreciated.
Alex tells me that she once delivered sandwiches to a shelter. She’s ashamed to admit it, but she was scared at first. The alley leading to the place was disturbing and men were approaching the vehicle. However, when she got out of the car, these men simply thanked her. They wanted to show him their gratitude.
“Is it volunteering that confronts your prejudices?
– Absolutely ! And I’m now trying to share all that, I’m constantly recruiting people. »
Mission accomplished, in this case, Kirstie. The sandwiches have obviously started some great discussions…