People experiencing homelessness in Trois-Rivières have one more door to knock on for support. Discreetly, the Franciscan community of Boulevard du Saint-Maurice has taken measures to deal with the phenomenon, in particular with the distribution of limited quantities of food vouchers.
At the beginning of each month, the same poster finds its place on the door of the Franciscan community, we can read that food aid is temporarily suspended
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It is during the second half of the month that food aid is distributed, the Franciscans offering 12 purchase certificates worth $25 each, exchangeable at the neighboring food store, the Super C. In October, this are 24 certificates that were given, due to high demand.
Every month, around twenty homeless people come to the Franciscans for help. The phenomenon is such that a father has been specially designated to take care of it.
Those who express the desire are invited to come in to chat for around ten minutes on average.
I am not a Super C card distributor. I am a brother of the house, here, who welcomes a person
explains Father Michel Boyer, responsible for welcoming the homeless.
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Father Michel Boyer notes that human distress, in addition to financial insecurity, has increased.
Photo : - / Martin Chabot
Before grocery coupons, religious people could sometimes offer money. However, organizations helping the homeless have advised them against doing this.
Father Boyer says he reminds people who benefit from the vouchers to use them to eat, because nothing on the certificate prohibits purchasing anything other than food.
The Franciscan community is the only one to have a storefront right in the epicenter of the homelessness phenomenon. Taking care of the poor is part of its mission.
Saint-François-d’Assise was close to poor people, damaged people, wounded by life. It’s part of our DNA
assures Father Boyer.
Mostly, the exchanges go well, without aggression. Despite everything, security remains an issue.
A few days ago, the monastery was the target of acts of vandalism. The community indicates that the alleged person responsible has been arrested. It would be a itinerant person. It was reportedly captured by a surveillance camera inside.
It was also considered to offer accommodation for itinerants, given the size of the monastery. Due to a lack of human and material resources for the community, this is impossible.
