A Pierrefonds food bank is looking for some assistance to stay on its feet after a couple of major setbacks over the past few weeks.
On Rock Community Services, an organization based in a building on Gouin Blvd., currently serves 300 families through its food bank, with another 70 families on a waiting list. Its founder, Kim Reid, says demand has shot up from the 180 families it served last year, mainly due to the recent influx of refugees — many of which were among those who crossed into Canada from the U.S. over the summer.
The building, he says, is no longer adequate. Reid says the group needs to nearly double its current available space, to about 15,000 square feet.
"We are desperately in need of more space," Reid told CJAD 800's Leslie Roberts on Tuesday. "We just logistically can't work any more boxes into our production."
Making matters worse, not long after the holidays, the building began to spring a leak.
"We're on the main floor of a two-story building, and the upstairs roof was leaking, which poured water into our diner," Reid says. "It's actually our diner that we closed for a few days so that we could get it all cleaned up."
Meanwhile, over the weekend, the organization's van broke down. It uses the vehicle to make deliveries to dozens of the families it serves, but last Friday, a mechanic told Reid the van should basically be scrapped.
"The van is one of the vehicles we use," Reid says. "Our volunteers, several of them use their own vehicles, but our van which does the biggest routes is now inoperable."
Several individuals and companies have donated the use of vans for now, allowing the organization to continue to make deliveries.
But now, Reid says in the longer term, the group needs a working van, and a new headquarters, so it can deal with the growing demand.
Anyone willing to make a donation can phone the group at 514-696-1905, or visit their web site.