Changes at Marché Dépôt and Resto Dépôt – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – June 2023
When should I make an appointment?
Please note that our food baskets are reserved for community members who are currently in financial difficulty and cannot afford groceries.
We’d like to remind you that our mission is to support you when you most need it. Given the unprecedented demand we face and the pressure on our service, we invite you to consider not booking another appointment if and when your financial situation improves.
We understand that each situation is unique and that the choice of whether or not to come to the Marche Depot is up to each individual according to their present needs.
When you are in a moment of need, please know we are here. Ideally you will make an appointment online through our website – if not we can assist you over the phone or in person.
Why is the amount of assistance decreasing?
The Dépôt is a non-profit organization funded by the community, and not a government entity.
We are facing unprecedented demand, which is forcing us to review the amounts we can give.
Our budget is based on a possible 1,200 households per month. However, the number of households registering continues to grow, and we are currently serving over 1,500 households. Last year at this time, May 2022, we were serving 600 households.
Faced with this unprecedented demand, our choice is to serve as many families as possible.
With the adjustments we are making, we can support 1,550 households each month.
This is the most we can do within our team’s capacity and, above all, within the allocated budget.
(For the record, The Depot is constantly working to offer more. Between 2019 and 2023, our purchasing budget has tripled. However, we are constrained by increasing demand). We continue to look for solutions to better serve those in need of support.
Why is the amount now calculated per person?
Following our cost analyses, this is the distribution that enabled us to serve the greatest number of people within our budget.
How many people are served each day?
We serve 90 households a day. That’s the maximum number of households that we can serve within our budget.
If we’ve reached this number, we’ll have to ask you to come back at a later date.
Why do I need an appointment?
Demand is high and our opening hours are limited. To control these two constraints, we believe appointments are the best solution to avoid both busy and slow periods.
(FYI: in 2022, the Dépôt has decided to open 4 days. Before Covid, the Depot was open 2 days a week).
Why isn’t anything available when I go online to make an appointment?
We open appointments 15 days in advance. We do this to create the most equitable conditions for everyone to have access to the service, again because demand is high and our capacity has a limit (1550 per month). If you go online and no appointments are available, we invite you to try again on the following days.
I don’t have an appointment, can I receive food today?
YES and NO.
YES, because most often a few appointments become available every day due to cancellations.
If you show up and don’t have an appointment, our resource team will work with you to assess your needs and our ability to serve you in the next few days. In the case of an urgent need, you may be served on the day of your visit as long as we have not exceeded the 90 appointments for the day.
NO, if we have reached 90 appointments per day, we will ask you to come back at a later date.
Do I need to tell you if I can’t make it?
YES. If you can’t make it, it frees up a spot in the day for another family in need of support. Since we want to maximize our service, letting us know in advance helps us better organize our day.
It will support us if you let us know in advance, if you will not be able to attend your appointment.. How? Call us or cancel your appointment online.
What happens if I arrive late for my appointment?
To ensure the efficiency and smooth running of our service, we ask you to respect your appointment time. If you arrive too early, you may be asked to wait for your appointment.
If you are too late (more than 1 hour), your appointment will be canceled and offered to another household. You may therefore be asked to return at another time if your appointment has been allocated to another person and the number of 90 households
served per day has been reached.
Why is there a cost for a Resto Dépôt meal now?
As of June 1st, the Resto Dépôt does NOT charge a fee. However, we are implementing a voluntary contribution of $2 per meal to support production costs. Our budgetary constraints are forcing us to implement dynamic solutions to continue offering quality service.
Since March 2022, the restaurant has been open 4 days instead of 2 before the pandemic, and we’ve been serving an average of 200 meals a day since 2023, compared with less than 100 when we reopened.
If a participant is unable to contribute, they will be welcomed without judgment.
Why is it so complicated?
We’re well aware of the constraints of our system. Nevertheless, it’s the best compromise we’ve found to serve the greatest number of families while continuing to host a market style service that allows participants to make their own food choices.
We will continue to explore ways to improve our services to better attend to the needs of our community.
Need more support?
There is a universal number in Montreal for food support and other services:
Call 211 or online https://www.211qc.ca/en/
Two important resources:
Sun Youth: (514) 842-6822
Mission Bon accueil: (514) 937 9317 option 5
You can contact our resource team either by email: houda@depotndg.org, or by phone: (438) 365-2851 and they will be happy to help connect you to other food support and related resources.