Problem of hunger hits surprisingly close to home
Manicured lawns notwithstanding, the West Island is far from immune
Admittedly, when many of us see images of children dying of starvation in Third World countries, our hearts might ache a little, but then we let out a sigh and then keep scrolling through our social newsfeed.
The problem of hunger seems far away. It is not.
Spending the past almost 30 days surrounded by Muslims who are fasting, and who have been giving an abundance of charity during the month of Ramadan, has heightened my senses about the community around me.
It saddens me to learn about the problem of food insecurity plaguing people in our own backyards — including here in my neck of the woods, the West Island, where we are accustomed to driving by well-manicured lawns, white picket fences and sprawling yards.
A neighbours for neighbours (N4N) food drive takes place in Kirkland on Saturday. At first, I thought it seemed a little oddly timed. We’re accustomed to food drives closer to Christmas. In fact, for many families, Christmastime (whether or not you celebrate) is a time to volunteer as a family. The reality, however, is that hunger does not follow a calendar, and as we near the summer months, many of our local food banks are facing bare shelves.
West Island Mission, a local food bank, says it serves more than 250 families a month. That is a high number for an area the size of the West Island. And according to information on Moisson Montreal’s website, the community organizations they serve across Montreal received more than 640,000 requests for food assistance per month. The problem is real; it’s awareness that seems to be lacking. Many of those in need in the West Island are house-rich but cash-poor, meaning they may live in large homes but do not have the money to keep their heating on or to eat balanced meals.
Circumstances can force those who are relatively well to do into crisis. A prime example of this is from the 2017 flood. Affluent families from mature neighbourhoods were forced out of their homes with only the clothes on their backs. These are families who were usually the ones giving to others and not accustomed to asking for or accepting help. This is what makes food insecurity so real. Those same families had to turn to our local food banks for support.
One family I recently spoke with admitted feeling embarrassed driving their SUV to a food bank. But as the person said, they could not eat their vehicle, they had to feed their family, and when you’re thrust into a crisis, you need to do what you need to do to survive. It’s important to know that we have community organizations in place doing some fantastic work.
Having just barely turned the corner after the recent flooding in the West Island, Laval, Rigaud and areas west of the city, we know that we are bound to face similar problems again. While volunteering at flood relief efforts in Pierrefonds, I met many people who had to take weeks off of work to protect their homes. That led to a tremendous amount of physical, emotional and financial stress. Add to that a shortage of food, and we’re talking about some very dire circumstances.
So while you might be planning your next family vacation, signing up the kids for summer camps or busy in your own life, please take a bit of time to drop off some non-perishables, grocery gift cards or a donation cheque to a local food bank, and take care of our neighbours in need.
The N4N Food Drive takes place Saturday June 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Provigo Le Marché Kirkland.
Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed is the founder and editor in chief of CanadianMomEh.com, a lifestyle blog. twitter.com/canadianmomeh