Centraide of Greater Montreal will facilitate the integration of Syrian refugees over the medium and long term

Added investment of $1 million over five years in agencies that work with these newcomers – This year Centraide will invest $41.4 million in its network as a whole

MONTREAL, June 15, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - In a context where 8 in 10 of the Syrian refugees who come to Quebec settle in the Montreal area, Centraide of Greater Montreal will invest an additional $1 million over five years in the reception and integration agencies in its network in order to better meet the multiple integration needs of these newcomers over the medium and long term.

This amount comes on top of the $2.6 million that Centraide already invests annually in 72 agencies that work with immigrants and refugees.

The announcement was made this morning at CACI, an agency that supports immigrants in Bordeaux-Cartierville, in the presence of community workers, volunteers and many of the families they help, during the presentation of Centraide's overall social investments for 2016-2017.

This additional $1 million will make it possible to enhance the existing services offered by the agencies, by adapting them to the current and foreseeable needs of Syrian refugee families. These services already include, notably: individual reception, assistance in accessing the school system and local resources, psychosocial support, help in integrating into the host community, and support for agencies and individuals that sponsor refugees. This investment will also make it possible to train and equip community and institutional workers involved in the integration of Syrian refugees. Ultimately, this multi-pronged support will create favourable conditions for the refugees' socio-economic integration.

"The agencies in our network are called upon to offer support and services to children, youth and families from all backgrounds, in increasingly diversified neighbourhoods," said Lili-Anna Pereša, President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal. "These investments will make it possible to achieve a common goal: to build an ever stronger community in Greater Montreal."

Investments of $41.4 million in 2016-2017

Centraide of Greater Montreal plays a pivotal role in coordinating a vast network of agencies and projects that help people living in situations of poverty and social exclusion. It identifies the most important needs so as to invest in the community judiciously, for maximum positive impact on people in difficulty.

This year Centraide will allocate a total of $41.4 million to the 343 agencies and projects in its network in order to meet a host of needs all year long: 35% will go to supporting youth success, 27% to breaking social isolation, 22% to building caring communities, and 16% to taking care of the essentials.

Centraide raises donations in the Greater Montreal area and invests them locally. It selects its investments according to the recommendations of some fifty volunteers, and on the basis of an analysis of the needs and resources of the neighbourhoods and municipalities in its territory.

Centraide of Greater Montreal is an independent organization managed by a board of directors that is representative of the community. It serves Laval, Montreal and the South Shore. About 57,000 volunteers are involved in the agencies supported by Centraide, and another 22,000 work on its annual campaign. Centraide is supported by some 1,600 private and public corporations and organizations as well as by large trade unions. To learn more: www.centraide-mtl.org.

In Quebec, there are 18 Centraides that between them support 1,500 community agencies and projects which in turn offer help and comfort to 1.3 million vulnerable people.

Related links

The areas of action of Centraide of Greater Montreal
Supporting the integration of immigrants and refugees
Centraide's agency network
Cogeco press release
Brief on poverty

SOURCE Centraide of Greater Montreal

Annick Gagnon, Public Relations Coordinator, 514 288-1261, ext. 242, [email protected], centraide-mtl.org