46 years of food-aid in Saint-Laurent

The only rolling Anglophone food charity in Saint-Laurent, Meals-on-Wheels Chapter 12, served up to 4,000 meals to people in need in 2015. This year, the kitchen that operates out of a church on Lapointe St. twice a week, celebrates their 46th anniversary.

In the kitchen, situated on the first floor of the Arabic Presbyterian Church, three volunteer cooks come alive. They fill 30 plates of roast pork with gravy, boiled potatoes and creamed corn, getting them ready for when the drivers and servers arrive.

Every Tuesday and Friday morning, the non-profit organisation prepares a hot meal for seniors referred by the CLSC Saint-Laurent. The meal goes for $3, including delivery.

Thirty years ago, the organisation was brimming with 45-50 volunteers, but those numbers have dropped steadily. The group now has 17 members in total, and until recently had a volunteer dietician. Well-balanced recipes are rotated every 13-14 weeks.

“We look for the flyers to get all the better deals and keep the cost down,” explained the president of Meals-on-Wheels, Adrien Michaud, who was also cooking that day.

Self-financing
The organisation relies mainly on the hard work and commitment of their volunteers, with money from the organisation going right back into it, though they received a $1,500 donation from the borough this year as a birthday gift.

The money will be used to renovate the kitchen, that hasn’t been updated in 33 years, except for the windows. Another donation from the borough five years ago went to a new fridge and stove.

“People should do more for the community,” whished Therese Boyca, one of the cooks.

Michaud has an ulterior motive for volunteering. “The reason why we do all this is that we have fun,” he added, laughing with one of his comrades.

Boyca is proud of her work. “It makes me feel good after I do something like that.”

On a little binder lies the list of all the seniors they are helping, along with their addresses, and the routes for the chauffeurs. They arrive at 11 o’clock to take off on their tour-de-Saint-Laurent.

Since 1970
The Saint-Laurent Meals-on-Wheels was the twelfth initiative of the kind in Montreal, a program that started in the province 50 years ago.

Chapter 12 began when Reverend Crawford of the Saint-Laurent Presbyterian Church called for volunteers. The first meals were served on Feb. 17, 1970, at what is now known as the YMCA Saint-Laurent. They moved to the current location on Lapointe St. in 1982.

The group’s first warming unit, an essential piece of Meals-on-Wheels equipment at the time, was provided by the Lion’s Club. Other community groups, like the Brownies and Girl Guides, helped with donations to get the organisation off the ground.

To help Meals-on-Wheels as a cook, driver or server on Tuesdays or Fridays morning, call Heather at 514 747-1411.