Montreal’s Parc-Ex Curry Collective changes lives of asylum seekers

The Parc-Ex Curry Collective (PECC), which launched in April 2021, is a mutual aid initiative that provides catering and food distribution services in Montreal.

The community-led project provides financial support for asylum-seekers and recently immigrated women in the Parc-Extension neighbourhood by hiring them as chefs.

Customers can support vulnerable families in the neighborhood by purchasing “community meals” and the Curry Collective will deliver to these families for free.

The Parc-Ex Curry Collective (PECC) was initially supported by Concordia University’s Office of Community Engagement. The initiative began during the pandemic in an effort to combat some of the systemic inequalities that were exacerbated during that time.

PECC provides financial support for women who face employment barriers due to their precarious immigration status and also serves as a catering service to address isolation and food insecurity. It was one of many mutual aid initiatives that arose during the pandemic and continues to be an evolving grassroots solution to systemic problems, empowering residents and promoting their integration.  

Leonora Indira King is the founder and coordinator of the Parc-Ex Curry Collective. She also works as a community worker for Afrique au Féminin where she organizes informational workshops and intercultural activities for female asylum seekers.

“I don’t require any documents or proof. If they say we need meals, we give them meals,” said King. “We were just trying to address the different barriers that they face as new arrivals, finding work, subsidized daycare, how to access mental health services or just health services in general.

“And as we were doing those workshops, you know, at the end we would finish with something cultural, familiar, it could be dancing, music, sharing recipes, and because it was during COVID, we were doing the workshops virtually, so all the women joined us from home.”

The women could not be happier for the opportunity, shares chef Promila.

The chefs King works with come from India, Pakistan and Turkey. Each of them sharing their cultures and traditions through food.  

“So when we started sharing recipes, I noticed that they were really proud sharing their recipes and it became kind of a weekly thing that we did,” King said. “And then before I know it, I just learned that all these women were passionate about cooking, loved cooking, were amazing chefs. I was able to sample some of the food because they would bring it to the community center after.

“And I saw this as like a really huge skill set that they had. And given that they were facing employment barriers, I was like, maybe we could use this as a source of income for them.”

The PECC is always looking for donations or strategic partnerships to help make it easier for asylum seekers to overcome barriers to work.

When asked about her plans for the future, King shared that asylum seekers often have a difficult time having access to daycare so she is hoping to have a daycare either adjacent to their kitchen or nearby.

“Many of them do have children,” she said. “They are allowed to work, but they don’t have access to subsidized daycare. So that would be something we would like love to have in this space or close to the space.”

Anyone can support vulnerable families in Parc-Extension by purchasing community meals and the Curry Collective will deliver to these families for free.

“I think it’s a really great experience for them. I think it also gets them out of their home and gets them cooking together, sharing experiences together, sharing recipes together and just integrating into the workforce and just integrating in general.”

“I feel very good,” shares a shy but talented chef Parveen.

King continues to dream big for the future of the PECC.

“Maybe down the line, we could have our own restaurant and that would be nice to have the chefs interacting directly with their clientele and having a bit more of an exchange like that,” she said. “I mean, there are just so many barriers that new arrivals face too.”

While King is making a difference in the lives of so many, she still wishes she could do more.

“I wish I could employ all the women in the neighbourhood,” she said. “So that’s been a challenge too. But I feel like we’re trying to do the best that we can and other ways that we try to give back or just giving meals back to the community.”

To place an order or to support the curry collective, visit their website.