Welcome Hall Mission to expand services with free grocery store in Montreal North

The Welcome Hall Mission will be offering a helping hand in Montreal North, starting this fall.

The organization plans to open a free grocery store in the areafor low-income families and individualsthis September.

The concept differs from a traditional food bank because it allows clients to pick and choose the food in a shopping setting. There are aisles and checkout lines.

"A normal grocery experience is something that gives a lot," said Sam Watts, the executive director for the mission.

• Montreal's Welcome Hall Mission celebrates 125 years of fighting poverty

The Welcome Hall Mission offers a wide range of services, including anovernight emergency shelter andthe largest direct-to-the-public food bank.

It also has a grocery store in Saint-Henri, where it provides up to 2,300 people with free food each week.

About 15 per cent of clients make the trek bypublic transit from Montreal North to have access to the service, which can take up to three hours.

"The situation in Montreal North shows us that our services are required," said Watts.

That's why the organization decided to open a second location at the Socit de Saint-Vincent de Paul building at the corner of Henri-Bourassa Boulevard and Archevque Avenue.

The grocery store is expected to serve up to 300 clients per day. It will be open three days per week.