Moisson Sud-Ouest (MSO) held its annual general meeting on Wednesday October 7th . The management of the organization took the opportunity to present its financial results, but especially the results of activities in times of Covid-19.
(Photo Ariane Turgeon)
MSO aims to collect food to feed people who cannot meet their needs. The food bank also raises awareness among merchants and restaurant owners so that they can recover as much food and commodities as possible. In addition to their food objective, it promotes the care and autonomy of disadvantaged people with reintegration programs into the labor market.
The Executive Director, Julie Bergevin, presented the report of activities and achievements for the year 2019-2020. She wanted to point out first that more than 80 organizations are now accredited by Moisson Sud-Ouest in Haut-Saint-Laurent, Beauharnois-Salaberry and Vaudreuil-Soulanges. The territory served by the organization is quite large. It covers from Pointe-Fortune to Saint-Martine via Havelock and Dundee. It is with the participation of the affiliated organizations mentioned that this coverage is possible.
Consolidation
One of the achievements of which the management of the food bank is most proud is the consolidation of their food supply to populations in need with the purchase of new equipment such as a second refrigerated truck. With this consolidation effort and through food donation programs such as Bourse de Denrées, MSO was able to recover more than 120,000 kg of food this year. Another example of monetary consolidation this time around is the money raised during this year’s media drive and golf tournament. Both events raised more money than previous years and the director was happy about it.
In addition to the activities of the food bank, the board of directors took advantage of the annual meeting to thank their volunteers and employees who help keep this charity going. Among its employees, 14 people took part in Emploi Québec’s social assistance and support program. Social rehabilitation being one of their goals, Moisson Sud-Ouest is very proud of the addition of 14 employees.
Presence
The organization is also present at the community level. It provided food assistance to the victims of the spring 2019 floods. Also, it participates every year in the Night of the Homeless in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, which is an event to raise awareness of the poverty situation of certain residents.
Ultimately, the Covid-19 pandemic transformed MSO’s operations. Sanitation measures forced the organization to create a whole new protocol for receiving food and for employees. On top of all this, the demand for food assistance has increased sharply and MSO believes it could extend for 24 months.
The Moisson Sud-Ouest team remains optimistic about the future and is ready to meet the challenges of the pandemic and the future.
