On June 17, 2022, Teshipitakan, a new food bank in Pessamit, opened its doors and began serving the local community.
The project involves distributing food baskets filled with essential products to members of the community experiencing food insecurity. A kitchen was also set up on the premises to offer cooking workshops, teaching participants recipes that they can replicate at home with the products in the baskets.
Urgent need
The project was originally developed in 2016, following a series of meetings led by the Table de concertation Mamu Atussetau. The members had identified food insecurity as an issue, and the topic had come up in several community consultations. To address this issue and take the necessary steps forward, a committee was set up, with members Denyse Bacon, Jocelyne Bacon, Louise Canapé, Sylvestre Desterres, Danielle Paul, Juliette Rock and Linda St-Onge.
No small task
Attempts to implement this type of service proved difficult for the committee members, particularly when it came to finding a location and securing funding. In 2021, the perfect opportunity finally presented itself, and the committee was able to acquire a location that was the right size and in the right location.
Collective success
The new food bank was made possible thanks to the collaboration of many different backers, particularly Second Harvest and the Fonds québécois d’initiatives sociales. Also instrumental in the project’s success were Anastasia Bacon and Laura Rousselot, the two new employees hired to coordinate the project, and Martin Lapierre, manager of Forestville Provigo.
Many community members attended the official opening. Some of the project’s collaborators were also present, including Martin Lapierre and Josée Gagnon, the Board chair of L’Escale food bank. During the event, Yan Riverin, Pessamit’s director of culture, sports and community life, and Céline Bacon, coordinator of the Table de concertation Mamu Atussetau, took part in various stages of the inauguration, celebrating the efforts of all the many people who worked on the project.
We hope that all involved are savouring their success!