According to Centraide of Greater Montreal (https://www.centraide-mtl.
1 in 5 (20%) of people on the Island of Montreal live in poverty.
MADA is committed to face this growing-level of poverty.
MADA Snapshot
In 2021,
- MADA distributed 65,923 Chez Makolet Food and Essential Supply Baskets (including diapers, toilet paper, soaps, etc.) ( 58,669 in 2020)
- MADA serviced 39,760 Shabbat to Share meals (37,804 in 2020)
- MADA distributed 249,612 Meals A Partager boxes (220,022 in 2020)
- MADA distributed 1,625 Pallets of Fruits and Vegetables (new for 2021)
- MADA distributed 18,150 items of clothing (17,300 in 2020)
- MADA distributed 286 pieces of furniture (220 in 2020)
- MADA served 62,410 cafeteria meals (54,230 in 2020)
- MADA distributed 4,408 Passover and Rosh Hashana Boxes (4,111 in 2020)
- MADA served 2,130 Passover Seder and Rosh Hashanah festive meals at 10 Montreal locations; (0 in 2020 due to Covid)
Our goal for the future is to keep up with the increasing demand and not leave anyone behind.
Learning
When COVID approached, we took a survey of our clients and discovered that many were not leaving their homes to get groceries or meals and were in desperate need of food delivered to their homes. Many could also no longer afford to eat healthy meals due to their situation.
As a result, in early 2020, MADA created the Meals-A-Partager program, so people could get 6-days worth of prepared nutritious meals, delivered directly to their homes.
As one client wrote:
In the summer of 2021, we conducted a survey of our Meals A Partager recipients and asked how we could improve the program. They asked if we could add various dietary options to the meals. As a result, in late 2021, we introduced various meal options to address dietary needs including vegan, low-sodium, and low cholesterol.
MADA West Island
MADA learned, through discussion with its clients, that many of its clients, and people in need, were in the West Island but found it too far to come to the MADA location on Decarie. As a result, The West Island MADA location was opened in late 2020 and started serving meals for pick up. Today, it continues providing daily supper meals and fresh produce to clients. We also started giving clients the option to pick up their monthly “Chez Makolet” orders from there and have volunteers pick up the “Shabbat to Share” and “Meals à Partager” boxes to deliver from there if they live closer to that location, making it more convenient all around!
We have learned that clients would like to have new good quality clothes for respect and dignity so we have has a few clothing giveaways of brand new quality clothes in 2021.
We are constantly listening to our client’s needs and adapting to provide for them. We are all a caring family.
