Community support keeps Chibougamau, Que., food bank going amid growing need

When the food bank in Chibougamau, Que., opens its doors to people from town, Sylvie Larocque can't help but notice who's coming in.

"We have families with both parents working," she says. "They have a house and a car, but something breaks and they don't know what to do. The other bills don't stop. The only thing you can cut is the food."

Larocque is the food bank facilitator at the Carrefour communautaire in Chibougamau. When she senses that people feel embarrassed about needing help, her message to them is always the same.

"I tell them 'today, I'm helping you. In two years, you may be helping me.'"

Anyone can visit the food bank once a month, and they are guaranteed to come away with four bags of groceries, including frozen meat and dairy products.

A partnership with two local groceries is vital to the food bank's operations. The stores notify the team whenever there is fresh food available for pickup that would otherwise go to waste.

In the cold room, Laroque points to crates of lettuce, peppers, oranges and green onions.

"This was all given to us by the stores because it's not 'nice' enough to be bought," she says.

The donations allow the Carrefour to offer food to two local shelters, the Maison de la famille and the food bank in nearby Chapais, whose team comes weekly to pick up supplies.

Programs that offer sustainable food security

On a cold night, the lights at the Carrefour communautaire are on after the stores on 3e Rue have gone dark. A group of students from the local professional training centre are preparing bulk meals.

Stéphanie Blanche is at the counter, opening cans of tomato sauce. Originally from Cameroon, she's studying to be an auxiliary nurse and jumped at the chance to come out and learn some new recipes.

"We don't have access to the ingredients I normally cook with — spices, and vegetables," Blanche says. "So I come to the Carrefour to learn to cook à la Québecoise."

The community kitchen program teaches people some cooking skills and also tricks to make their money go further. By preparing in bulk, each participant can go home with nine meal portions for just $9.

Increasing need means more strain on resources

Every day at noon, the Carrefour offers a hot soup lunch to anyone at a cost of $1 a bowl. Some come because it's convenient, others because they need it. The kitchen serves 60 to 80 bowls of soup a day, up from 40 a year ago. In 2024, there were 509 visits to the food bank by November.

Money is always tight and the Carrefour's director, Brigitte Rosa, says searching for funding support is complicated and almost a full-time job. But despite the challenges, Larocque says as long as there's hunger, she knows the Carrefour can make a difference.

"When you see somebody struggling that has the courage to come here and ask for help, the hard part is done," she says.

"Then it's my turn. And I'm going to do my best."

CBC Quebec is partnering with Food Banks of Quebec for the "Make the Season Kind" campaign. Twenty-four regional CBC stations across the country will run charity drives throughout the month of December in support of local food banks.