(Montreal) Centraide of Greater Montreal announces Wednesday the injection of an additional sum of 1.7 million to 36 community organizations that intervene in food security, in order to reduce the impact of inflation on people who are struggling. to pay for groceries.
Centraide of Greater Montreal specifies that the agencies are observing increases in requests for food aid, particularly from workers, seniors living alone and with reduced mobility, as well as asylum seekers and refugees.
In addition, the shortage of manpower, the difficulties in recruiting personnel, the lack of funding and volunteers increase the challenges organizations face in providing services in the field.
According to Centraide of Greater Montreal, one-time emergency funding will be used to purchase food and other basic necessities, purchase or rent refrigerated equipment and materials, provide transportation and distributing food and hiring temporary employees to make up for the lack of volunteers.
Centraide of Greater Montreal reports that approximately 671,000 people receive food assistance in Quebec each month, which is 10% more than in 2021 and 34% more than before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019.
The organization also states that on the island of Montreal, 23% of people live in a situation of food insecurity, more than anywhere else in Quebec.