Speed and flexibility are key to success for this Quebec non-profit
Moisson Mauricie/Centre-du-Québec food bank makes every dollar count
Marie-Louise Gélinas is always ready for her phone to ring, knowing at any moment, someone on the other end could be offering a big food donation.
As the director of operations for the only food bank serving the Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec area, Gélinas says it's impossible to plan the day.
"When people call, they want the stuff gone now. It's a lot of adaptation and turning things around."
Being quick to answer the call for collections then sorting and distributing it efficiently is key to the Moisson Mauricie/Centre-du-Québec's mission.
Its sound business practices are also one of the reasons the organization is on Charity Intelligence Canada's list of Top 10 Impact Food Banks for the fourth consecutive year.
Moisson MCDQ serves two large regions of Quebec that encompass 11 regional county municipalities (MRCs). It partners with 70 community organizations that distribute the food it gathers to people in need.
Through that network, the organization supports about 17,000 people monthly. Thirty per cent of the clientele are children.
The food bank can count on donations from local grocers, who share items whose expiry dates prohibit their sale, but can still be safely consumed.
Local farms do their part, too.
"We get onions, potatoes, carrots, pumpkins," Gélinas says. "And if there's anything we can't use, we have agreements with farms who take stuff back and put it on their compost pile."
Every cent spent on storing or disposing of unusable food items is a cent not going toward helping the hungry. The aim is to limit any waste.
"Garbage is money," Gélinas says.
Employability programs an essential partner
Moisson MCDQ works through provincial employability programs to find people to help sort and prepare the food it takes in for delivery.
The participants have had difficulty holding down a steady job for a variety of reasons, including physical and intellectual challenges. Some receive food aid themselves.
The team at the food bank helps program participants break through isolation and find their way.
"It's not an exchange for a paycheque," Gélinas says. "It's an exchange for being part of a community."
The success of the organization's model is in large part due to program participants. In 2023-24, they put in more than 30,000 hours sorting food.
Food bank clients can count on quality
For the community partners who distribute the items Moisson MCDQ gathers, a quick turnaround from collection to distribution means clients benefit from fresher food in their basket.
Denise Poitras is the president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Trois-Rivières, which delivers Moisson MCDQ offerings through four neighbourhood distribution points in the city.
"The quality of the food is excellent," Poitras says. "Healthy choices, vegetables, fruit, dairy… people leave with three or four bags of groceries worth $120."
Poitras sees the impacts of those nutritional options on the front line.
"I see people who come regularly and they tell me, 'Denise, since I started coming here, I've gained weight, I feel better.' It makes you feel good, knowing the difference it makes."
Making each dollar go a long way
Moisson MCDQ is 90 per cent self-financed, so it relies heavily on the generosity of individuals and local businesses.
For every dollar donation, the food bank can deliver $19 in food aid.
Gélinas says she wants the organization to be top of mind when people are ready to give.
However, she says it's just as important for people to think of it when they need help themselves, stressing the importance of reaching out sooner rather than later.
"It's difficult to leave the ego at the door," Gélinas says. "But if you ask for help, we can keep [you] making the car payments, the house payments … and jump-start something new."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
