Carrefour Solidaire Community Food Centre

What Carrefour Solidaire Community Food Centre does

Carrefour Solidaire Community Food Centre is a non-profit charitable organization operating under the legal name Rencontres-Cuisines in Montreal's Centre-Sud neighbourhood. It runs an integrated portfolio of 22 food security and food autonomy programs serving over 2,500 members and the wider Centre-Sud community. Programs include the Carte Proximité regional food coupon program (serving 1,600+ low-income households in 2025 and facilitating over $2.3M in cumulative purchases at 100+ partner markets since 2020), the Épicerie populaire 3 Paniers solidarity grocery store (open 7 days/week as of Nov 2024), the seasonal Marché Solidaire Frontenac (mid-May to early November), community meals via Bols du Quartier (12,000+ meals annually) and cultural meal series Bols du Monde, urban agriculture on the Promenade des Saveurs (Canada's largest edible street) and experimental Street Greenhouses, collective and community kitchens, a youth lunch program (Boîte à lunch Centre-Sud), and the Récoltes Solidaires peer-support and referral program anchored by the CARAA citizen committee.

The organization is Quebec's second Community Food Centre and operates as a partner site of the national organization Droit à l'alimentation, supported by the Community Food Centres of Canada network. Revenue is generated primarily through individual donations (one-time and monthly 'Compagnon·nes Solidaires'), corporate donations and matching programs, foundation grants (notably a CAD $450,000 commitment from the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security announced Sept 2025), earned revenue from the two social economy retailers operating a two-tier solidarity pricing model, and limited catering to existing partnerships. Pricing across programs is freemium or voluntary-contribution based: membership is free and lifetime, meals carry a suggested $10 voluntary contribution for those not food-insecure, and grocery/market customers self-select between full price and a subsidized solidarity price. Distribution is exclusively direct and community-based across physical sites in the H2K/H2L postal codes; no e-commerce or digital product distribution exists. A 2023–2027 strategic plan was adopted by the board in January 2024, and the Carte Proximité program won the Prix ESTim 2026 in Sustainable Development Initiatives.

Name

Carrefour Solidaire Community Food Centre

Legal name

Rencontres-Cuisines

Website

https://carrefoursolidaire.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carrefour Solidaire is a non-profit Community Food Centre in Montreal's Centre-Sud that operates 22 food security and food autonomy programs—including the Carte Proximité food coupon program, a solidarity grocery store, a seasonal market, community meals, and urban agriculture—serving over 2,500 members and 1,600+ low-income households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fresh Food Subscription/CSA & Produce Box Retail (CRAHAHAG)

Keywords

• Community food security
• Food bank services
• Urban agriculture programs
• Social economy retail
• Community meal programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations (One-time and Monthly): The organization relies heavily on individual donations as its primary revenue source. One-time and monthly (Compagnon·nes Solidaires) donations are accepted online via Zeffy (100% passes through to the organization) and CanadaHelps platforms, by cheque, by bank transfer, and via donated securities through CanadaHelps. Tax receipts are issued for donations of $50 or more. Monthly donors are cultivated as a key sustainability mechanism.
2. Corporate Donations: Corporate donations are accepted via Zeffy, CanadaHelps, and Benevity platforms, by cheque, and by bank transfer. The organization encourages corporate matching of employee donations, fundraising campaign participation, and employee giving campaigns.
3. Social Economy Food Retail (3 Paniers Grocery Store and Marché Solidaire Frontenac): Revenue from the 3 Paniers solidarity grocery store (open 7 days a week) and the seasonal Marché Solidaire Frontenac market (May–October), both operating on a solidarity pricing model where customers choose between a full price and a reduced solidarity price. These are social economy enterprises where profits are reinvested into food access programs.
4. Catering Services: The organization's kitchen team produces meals for community programs and limited catering services for existing partnerships. As of October 2024, catering capacity is limited to existing partnerships only.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Carrefour Solidaire is a non-profit Community Food Centre operating 22 integrated programs that address food insecurity and food autonomy in Montreal's Centre-Sud neighbourhood. Core offerings include the Carte Proximité food coupon program, the Épicerie populaire 3 paniers solidarity grocery store, the Marché Solidaire Frontenac seasonal market, community meals, collective kitchens, urban agriculture programming, youth lunch programs, and referral/peer support services. All services are offered free or on a solidarity pricing model for food-insecure residents of H2K and H2L postal codes.

Product overview

Carrefour Solidaire Community Food Centre is a non-profit community organization operating a multi-service hub focused on food security and food autonomy in Montreal's Centre-Sud neighbourhood. The organization offers an integrated portfolio of programs including food access initiatives (Carte Proximité food coupon program, Épicerie populaire 3 paniers grocery store, Marché Solidaire Frontenac market), community meals (Bols du quartier), urban agriculture (Promenade des saveurs gardens), cooking workshops (Cuisines collectives), youth programs (Boîte à lunch), and peer support/referral services (Récoltes Solidaires, CARAA committee). The Centre operates as a single unified organization providing direct food services rather than a technology platform, with no commercial product or SaaS offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carte Proximité Food coupon program providing monthly monetary allocations to households experiencing food insecurity in Montreal's Centre-Sud (H2K/H2L), redeemable at over 100 partner public markets, farmers' kiosks, and social grocery stores. Launched in 2020; has facilitated over $2.3 million in purchases and produced significant reductions in severe food insecurity among participants.
• Épicerie populaire 3 Paniers (Solidarity Grocery Store) Year-round solidarity grocery store at 2375 rue Sainte-Catherine Est, Montreal, offering fresh and local products on a two-tier solidarity pricing model (full price or subsidized solidarity price). Open seven days a week since November 2024; accepts Carte Proximité, cash, and debit.
• Marché Solidaire Frontenac Seasonal social economy outdoor market operating mid-May to early November at the Frontenac metro station esplanade (2570A rue Ontario Est), offering locally sourced Quebec products with a two-tier solidarity pricing model. Volunteers receive a 10% discount.
• Bols du Quartier (Community Meals)

Quantifiable outcome

• Significant reductions in severe food insecurity among Carte Proximité participants since 2020 launch
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Laboratoire de l'agriculture urbaine (AU/LAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on experimental urban agriculture projects including the Street Greenhouses (Serres de rue) winter garden project (autumn 2021/winter 2022 and autumn 2022/winter 2023), using three passive solar greenhouses on rue Dufresne. AU/LAB co-authored the case study report and construction guide for the project, available on ValorisonsMtl.
• Arrondissement Ville-MariecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Carrefour Solidaire and the Laboratoire de l'agriculture urbaine to install three passive solar greenhouses on rue Dufresne (public road within the Ville-Marie borough) as part of the Street Greenhouses winter garden experiment.
• Regroupement des cuisines collectives du Québec (RCCQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCCQ organized the first National Summit on the Right to Food (Sommet national sur le droit à l'alimentation) in Sherbrooke in April 2026, bringing together over 400 actors from across Quebec's food system. The CARAA committee of Carrefour Solidaire participated and co-hosted a thematic workshop on poverty and social inequalities alongside the Observatoire des inégalités and the Direction de la santé publique.
• Éco-quartier Ville-Marie de Sainte-Marie et de Saint-JacquesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Carrefour Solidaire to deliver the 'Rendez-vous nourriciers' summer workshop series at the Promenade des Saveurs (rue Dufresne). Workshops alternate between the two organizations, covering urban ecology and gardening topics every Wednesday from June to August 2026.
• Sentier UrbainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Carrefour Solidaire and the Éco-quartier to deliver the 'Rendez-vous nourriciers' workshop series at the Serre Emily-de-Witt location in 2025, covering urban ecology and gardening best practices.
• Castor et PolluxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign studio that designed the Sentier du cerf, a bright interactive winter installation inaugurated in autumn 2023 at the Promenade des Saveurs site, replacing the Street Greenhouses experiment.
• CDC Centre-Sud (Corporation de développement communautaire Centre-Sud)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publisher of the 'Manger dans le Centre-Sud' collaborative calendar. Participates in joint events with Carrefour Solidaire, including the 'De la rue au condo' housing continuum meeting series in June 2026.
• Organisation populaire des droits sociaux (OPDS-RM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization featured in the 'Manger dans le Centre-Sud' calendar. Carrefour Solidaire shares its platform to promote OPDS-RM events including the Week of Social Assistance Recipients and collective rights defense workshops.
• Droit à l'alimentation (Food Rights / National Right to Food organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarrefour Solidaire is a partner site of Droit à l'alimentation, a national non-profit working to address the root causes of food insecurity. It is part of a cross-country movement of organizations improving health, belonging, and social justice through the power of food.
• Community Food Centres of Canada (CFCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarrefour Solidaire is Quebec's second Community Food Centre, part of the CFCC network. CFCC supports the organization's impact measurement through annual impact surveys and provides a framework for CFC programming across Canada.
• Réseau pour une alimentation durable (RAD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network with which Carrefour Solidaire partnered to organize the 'Je mange donc je vote' (I eat, therefore I vote) civic engagement event connecting federal candidates with Centre-Sud residents to discuss food insecurity, school food programs, and local food systems.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Stop Community Food Centre: Toronto-based Community Food Centre operating a near-identical multi-program model (food bank, drop-in meals, gardens, kitchens, advocacy) as the founding member of Community Food Centres of Canada. Directly comparable because both organizations are CFCs that combine food access, urban agriculture, and civic participation under one roof.
• Santropol Roulant: Montreal-based community food security organization best known for Meals-on-Wheels delivery and intergenerational food programs. Directly comparable because it serves the same city with a similar blend of dignified food access, volunteer-powered operations, and food justice advocacy.
• Moisson Montréal: Montreal's principal food bank distributing rescued food to a network of community organizations. Directly comparable because it addresses food insecurity in the same geography, although its centralized warehouse/logistics model differs from Carrefour Solidaire's community-hub model.
• Récoltes Solidaires / Regroupement des cuisines collectives du Québec: Quebec-wide network of collective kitchens and food-security advocacy; co-organizer with Carrefour Solidaire of the first Quebec Right to Food Summit (2026). Comparable because it shares the collective-kitchen and rights-based food security orientation across Quebec.

Broad incumbents

• Community Food Centres of Canada: National network of which Carrefour Solidaire is Quebec's second member. Comparable because it sets the CFC programmatic framework, provides impact measurement infrastructure, and represents the broader category of community food centres across Canada.
• Food Banks Canada / Banques alimentaires Canada: National umbrella for food banks and a major funder/research body in Canadian food security. Comparable as the dominant sector incumbent in food assistance, against which CFC-style models like Carrefour Solidaire distinguish themselves on dignity, participation, and root-cause focus.
• La Maison du Père: Long-running Montreal nonprofit providing meals, shelter, and food security services with a major on-site kitchen. Comparable because it operates one of the city's largest community-meal programs and competes for some of the same food-insecure clientele.

Regional players

• Partage du Nord: Laval-based food assistance organization serving a different Montreal-region borough. Comparable in model (food baskets and emergency food access) but operates on the northern island/north-shore side rather than directly in Centre-Sud.

Others

• AU/LAB (Laboratoire de l'agriculture urbaine): Montreal urban-agriculture research and experimental-design partner that co-built the Serres de rue with Carrefour Solidaire. Comparable as an adjacent, enabling organization in the local urban-agriculture ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.
• Droit à l'alimentation (Right to Food): National nonprofit working to address root causes of food insecurity, of which Carrefour Solidaire is a partner site. Comparable as a thematically aligned umbrella operating in the same dignity/rights-based food-security space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/carrefoursolidaireCCA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carrefoursolidaire
• Instagraminstagram.com/carrefoursolidaire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carrefour Solidaire Community Food Centre