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In the heart of Greater Moncton, the team at Alternative Residences Alternatives (ARA) provides community-based housing and support for adults living with mental illness, creating spaces where people can feel truly supported and live with dignity, independence and care.
Founded by mental health professionals and local volunteers who saw the urgent need for alternatives to institutional care, ARA was built on compassion. Since opening in 1984, it has grown into the region’s largest provider of its kind.
ARA first connected with Second Harvest in 2020, when food prices started rising. Since then, the need for support has only grown, with communities feeling the pressure of the ongoing affordability crisis. Their partnership with Second Harvest has become a reliable source of food support, rescuing over 137,000 lbs of food so that residents have access to the nourishment they need.
“Every second Thursday, food arrives at our door,” shared Alan Pendergast, Executive Director of ARA.
With biweekly deliveries of fresh food, ARA can stretch its budget further and invest more in programs and services. But as Alan points out, the impact goes deeper:
“People eat better food. That’s a benefit I don’t think people fully understand. The amount of fresh food that we receive — everyone knows that fresh food is more expensive than dry goods. We get an opportunity to feed that to people here, and they eat healthier than they have.”
Also thanks to this partnership, staff supporting residents in independent housing have ingredients for nutrition workshops, cooking lessons and food preservation training.
“There is so much going on with this partnership that it’s difficult to put one advantage to it. It’s so many things at once,” said Christian Enaboifo, Marketing and Funding Coordinator.
ARA offers both fully supported and more independent living options, tailored to each person’s needs.
“All of the people that we serve, every one of them, are better served with us than on their own, and at the end of the day that’s the goal,” Alan shared.
Some residents stay only briefly, while others require long-term support. We’re proud to provide reliable support to organizations like ARA. Those who show up, day after day, with care and commitment.
“One thing I take out of my experience here is how personalized the relationships between staff and residents are,” shared Christian. “That we’re here to help, that we’re here right now, working with them — it gives me some peace.”
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