Bouffe Pontiac sees increase in usage, food prices over past year

Bouffe Pontiac sees increase in usage, food prices over past year

On Thursday morning (June 29), local food bank Bouffe Pontiac held their annual general meeting in Campbell’s Bay. Director Kim Laroche said that their revenue over the past year was boosted by a grant increase from regional health authority CISSSO, however, they also saw a large increase in both food price and food bank users over the same time period.

With inflation soaring over the past couple years, Bouffe’s annual report showed that they saw a sizable increase in food bank usage during the tail end of 2022, spiking in November with 810 users. Laroche said that the cost of living, especially food prices, was the primary reason they’ve seen an increase in users over the past year.

In addition to providing food to anyone in the region who needs it, the non-profit organization also runs a free second-hand store to provide clothing and household items for their clients. They are also partnered with the Jardin Educatif du Pontiac, which provided them with 1,632.8 kg of fresh produce last year.

Bouffe’s board of directors will be staying the same, with both Janie Landry and Guylaine Marcil being re-elected for 2 year terms.

Bouffe Pontiac’s annual report and financial statements are available here: Rapport d’activité 2023  rapport anuelle-corrigé

The full interview (8m20) with Laroche is available here.