Moisson Montréal awards $2M in grants to 69 community organizations fighting food insecurity

Amid ongoing struggles with food insecurity across the city, Moisson Montréal awarded dozens of grants totalling over $2 million during the closing event of their 40th anniversary at Jean Talon Market on Tuesday.

In total, 69 community organizations received funding to help with the purchase of essential tools in the fight against food insecurity, such as refrigerators, cold storage units, vehicles, crates, and tables.

“This funding has helped us make changes in our organization that will allow us to reach more families in a larger quantity,” said Kayla Reid, the operations manager at On Rock Community Services in Montreal’s West Island.

“The thing that hits home every time is that hunger doesn’t discriminate, it doesn’t.”

Moisson Montréal symbolically rolled out a red carpet at the market for the event, to honour those who help the city’s most vulnerable.

“This isn’t a glamorous event. What we are awarding today are fridges, stoves, and trucks,” said Chantal Vézina, the executive director of Moisson Montréal. “But behind each of these pieces of equipment lies an essential gesture toward food dignity. Today, we are celebrating the real heroes working in the frontline.”

On Rock founder Kim Reid and his daughter Kayla say they received $40,000 towards the renovation of their newly built grocery store for incoming clients.

“It means exposure,” Kim Reid said. “It means we get to appreciate the organization that’s handing us money. Without the contributions of people like Moisson Montréal we’d be stuck in the wind and people wouldn’t be getting food.”

“It allows us to continue doing what we’re doing right now and serve the families that we’re serving in the way that we are,” added Kayla. “The changes that we’ve made are so important to us, but more than that, it’s important to our clients.

“Dignity is a big thing. They’re not coming to the back of a warehouse to come in like we had before. Now they’re coming into a storefront. It’s just like if somebody was walking by in the street, they would think, ‘OK, he’s going in to get some groceries. So it takes away some of the stigma.

“The response that we’ve seen from our clients opening this grocery store and giving them that bit of humanization has been received so incredibly well. They are so thrilled to have choices and be able to come in and confidently make those choices for their families and this is all a part of making that happen.”

On Rock Community Services sees over 300 families a week, with Kayla saying it never ends, as more and more registration requests come in daily.

“We get asked all the time about our food needs and so many people say, ‘yeah, but I can’t do very much,'” said Kim. “It takes a lot of drops to fill a bucket and so those people who come to our door with a bag with six items in it that they picked up while they were shopping and give it to us, that may seem like nothing, but enough people do that and we can feed a community and that’s partially how we do it.”

A total of 162 project proposals were received, which Moisson Montréal says reflects a community sector under constant strain and with limited resources. The organization says more than $5 million would have been needed to fund all submissions.

The organization says the selection process was carried out by an independent committee composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds experiencing food security. Representatives say the selection process was “heart-wrenching,” adding that most of the projects deserved funding.

“There’s definitely a lack of resources,” said Kayla Reid. “There’s a lack of staffing for us. Because we don’t have the funds for the staff, I don’t even have the staff to try and apply for government money. Because who has the time? We’re so busy.

“The need is so big, and the only way that we can continue doing what we do and continue filling the need is from organizations like Moisson who make that possible.”

A map installed onsite at the Jean-Talon Market Tuesday allowed visitors to visualize the projects supported throughout Montreal’s boroughs. Each point represents a concrete solution driven by a community-based organization.

“It was a year of lots of emotion, happiness because we do great things, big things over the 40 last years, but we know that we’re probably going to be there in another 40 years,” said Audrey Bernier, the communications and marketing director at Moisson Montréal.

“Monson Montréal won’t be able to end food insecurity in Montreal. It’s something that needs to be done together. That’s for sure. The government, the Ville of Montreal, all the enterprise as well. People in the community as well can help. It’s important. People that can give their time go to your community agency, donate some of your time. Monetary donation will for sure always help.”

The grants were made possible in large part through donations from The Rossy Foundation, which they say was “bolstered by a vote” from Dollarama employees who helped direct the foundation’s funding to Moisson Montréal, helping raise $1.3 million.