Quebec looks to ensure Accueil Bonneau can keep feeding those in need

The Quebec government has swooped in to help a Montrealhomeless advocacy organization, ensuring it has the means to offer meals on weekends.

Accueil Bonneau, which operates a soup kitchen and other services in Old Montreal, such as helping peoplefind housing, announced last month that it will stopserving weekend meals starting on Jan. 6.

Thisweekend's service remains cancelled despite government intervention because it is too late to get things back on track for the weekend, officialstold Radio-Canada.

But the future is looking brighter for Accueil Bonneau.Quebec's minister responsible for social services, Lionel Carmant, announced Wednesday that the government istransferring$50,000 in emergency assistance to the organization.

"It is essential that we maintain the food services of Accueil Bonneau for the well-being ofcitizens," he said on X, formerly Twitter.

The CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'le-de-Montral and Carmant's team have been working with the organization for several weeks to find solutions to their financial challenges, he added.

This comes after the organization said in a Facebook post on Dec. 23 that it had reluctantly decided to suspend the weekend service, which supports about 400 homeless people per day. Accueil Bonneau said it is the first time it has done so in its nearly 150 years of existence.

Without more funding, the organization saidit will have to stop serving meals completely in February.

Funding challenges

Most ofthe centre's services arefinanced by citizen donations, Accueil Bonneau director FionaCrosslingsaid in an interview with Radio-Canada's Tout un matin.

And government funding for groups tackling homelessness is mostly dedicated to emergency serviceslike shelters, butmeal services are not considered emergency services based on its definition, Crossling said.

She hopes that will change.

"The most fundamental need we have as humans is to be fed," she said.

During the pandemic, the organization benefited from government aid to cover most of itsexpenses. But when that supportstopped, they couldn't make up for the gap in funding.

Crossling said sheis asking the government to give $1.2 million per year to the centre,with $700,000 going toward daily meals.

During hismeeting with Crosslingon Wednesday, Carmant said in his post, theyagreed that the meal service would be maintained through emergency assistance, but "we also needed to explore the development of 24/7 services, similar to other homelessness resources."

"This is a fundamental aspect if we want to provide the best possible services and help individuals experiencing homelessness get off the streets," he said.

Calling it a government priority, Carmant said discussions are ongoing to find a sustainable solution for Accueil Bonneau's funding challenges.