FDOI<\/a><\/p>\nThe organization announced June 15, that it will transform a former Canada Post building in Roxboro into a major community hub designed to meet growing demand for food assistance and social services across the West Island.<\/p>\n
Officials say the project comes at a time when rising housing costs, inflation and economic pressures are forcing an increasing number of residents \u2014 including employed adults and families \u2014 to seek help for the first time.<\/p>\n
“People often associate the West Island with affluence, but the reality on the ground has changed significantly,” said Gregory Orleski, president of the FDOI board of directors.<\/p>\n
![\"Gregory](\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAQAAAAe\/WZNAAAAEElEQVR42mM8U88ABowYDABAxQPltt5zqAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\")
<\/p>\n
Gregory Orleski – President FDOI<\/p>\n
FDOI<\/p>\n
“We’re seeing more and more people coming to us who are working, raising families and doing everything they can to make ends meet. Once rent and bills are paid, there isn’t much left for groceries.”<\/p>\n
The organization reports that requests for food assistance have increased by more than 15 per cent since the beginning of the year. Working adults are among the fastest-growing groups accessing its services, reflecting a trend increasingly observed by food banks and community organizations across Quebec and Canada.<\/p>\n
The growing demand mirrors broader concerns about food insecurity in the Montreal region, where community agencies have reported record levels of need in recent years as the cost of essentials continues to rise.<\/p>\n
Founded in 1966 as the West Island Assistance Fund, the organization has spent six decades providing food, clothing and essential household items to residents facing hardship. It also operates a range of community programs serving children, women, seniors and newcomers.<\/p>\n
Last year alone, the organization distributed an estimated $2 million worth of essential goods to residents.<\/p>\n
Executive director Chantal Laferri\u00e8re said existing facilities are no longer sufficient to meet the community’s needs.<\/p>\n
“Our current space can’t keep up with the demand, and we don’t want to turn anyone away,” she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Chantal Laferriere – Executive Director FDOI<\/p>\n
FDOI<\/p>\n
The organization purchased the former Canada Post building in Roxboro late last year and plans to begin renovations in the fall. The facility is expected to become a centralized hub for community services and partnerships in the West Island.<\/p>\n
The expanded space will house the organization’s food bank, its Deuxi\u00e8me Vie thrift shop, collective kitchen programs and the Garden of Hope initiative. Plans also call for the creation of a community bistro offering affordable meals and a gathering space for residents.<\/p>\n
The project is also intended to serve as a shared space for other community organizations, allowing agencies to offer psychosocial support programs and specialized services for women, children, seniors and newcomers under one roof.<\/p>\n
Community leaders say the model reflects a growing recognition that poverty extends beyond food insecurity and often involves social isolation, housing challenges, mental health concerns and barriers to accessing services.<\/p>\n
The organization is also unveiling a new visual identity as part of its anniversary celebrations, formally adopting the name Fonds d’aide de l’Ouest-de-l’\u00cele, or FDOI, while emphasizing its longstanding presence in the community.<\/p>\n
The rebranding is intended to signal both continuity and renewal as the organization prepares for what it expects will be increased demand in the years ahead.<\/p>\n
Laferri\u00e8re said the anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s history while preparing for future challenges.<\/p>\n
“We’ve spent 60 years showing up for the West Island,” she said. “What we’re building now is for the next 60.”<\/p>\n
While construction on the new hub is expected to begin later this year, the organization says it will continue operating its existing programs and services throughout the transition.<\/p>\n
For community advocates, the expansion represents more than a new building. It is a visible response to a growing reality that economic vulnerability is no longer confined to traditionally disadvantaged neighbourhoods.<\/p>\n
As food bank usage continues to rise across the Montreal region, organizations such as FDOI say the challenge will be ensuring support services grow fast enough to meet demand \u2014 even in communities where poverty often remains hidden from public view.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Long viewed as one of Montreal’s most affluent regions, the West Island is experiencing a growing wave of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":105532,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[29298,1942,235,423,28072,50,37692,6417,7855],"class_list":["post-105531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-montreal","tag-anniversary","tag-community","tag-economy","tag-food","tag-food-security","tag-montreal","tag-organization","tag-social-issues","tag-west-island"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105531"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105531\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}