MONTREAL, June 18, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - This year, Centraide will allocate $46,518,000 to 369 agencies in the Greater Montreal region, which is home to the most poor people in Quebec. This funding will go towards providing services and support to improve the living conditions of families and to fight social exclusion.
"Centraide's investments are the result of our donors' generosity," stated Lili-Anna Pereša, Centraide of Greater Montreal's new President and Executive Director. "In Greater Montreal, nearly one out of five people lives below the low-income cutoff. Situations of poverty experienced by youth in difficulty along with families' living conditions are of great concern to us. By implementing lasting solutions, agencies can break the cycle of poverty. For 500,000 people, they represent a true safety net."
"When I visited agencies after starting at Centraide, I saw the positive impact that they have on the lives of so many people, such as Julie, a young single mother who can go to a collective kitchen to cook low-cost meals for her family, as well as D'Avila, a high school student with known behaviour problems who now has an 85% average thanks to homework assistance," stated Lili-Anna Pereša.
INVESTMENT TO SUPPORT INNOVATION
Centraide reinforces the mission of agencies so that they can provide front-line services to vulnerable people in disadvantaged areas.
The increasingly complex issues of poverty in neighbourhoods require a range of approaches involving multiple partners. As part of its support, Centraide will invest $221,000 to launch and coordinate six innovative projects to meet these needs.
Support families in a large area of poverty in Montreal
La P'tite Maison de Saint-Pierre - $40,000:
Nearly one out of five poor people in the Lachine borough resides in the Saint-Pierre neighbourhood, which has one of the highest percentages of single-parent families (46%). The number of people from visible minorities has also seen a staggering increase of 122% in 5 years. Centraide will bolster the implementation and development of activities at La P'tite Maison de Saint-Pierre, a place of support that improves the quality of life of residents in the sector and helps them break out of their isolation. Supported by community agencies and citizen volunteers, this centre provides referrals, accompaniment, coffee klatches, thematic workshops, a drop-in centre, a second-hand clothing store and family activities.
Improve living conditions for children in Parc-Extension
Démarche pilote Enfance-famille de Parc-Extension - $25,000:
In Parc-Extension, one out of two children under the age of six lives in poverty, compared to one out of three on the Island of Montreal. With other partners, Centraide has launched a pilot initiative to develop an action plan for the neighbourhood that aims to improve the well-being of children and families. This shared vision of initiatives will guide future investment in Parc-Extension.
Build partnerships in Mercier-Est to improve living conditions for families and seniors
La toile d'araignée Project - $42,000:
One fifth of the Mercier-Est population lives below the low-income cutoff. Centraide will support the development of "La toile d'araignée," a project led by a group of agencies that include L'Antre-Jeunes de Mercier-Est, La Maison des Familles de Mercier-Est and Le Chez-Nous de Mercier-Est. Funding for this project will go towards aligning the actions of various stakeholders to optimize services (initiatives and activities) and improve living conditions for residents in four HLMs, housing complexes reserved for low-income families and seniors.
Support fathers in the north sector of the West Island
Pères à cœur (Sainte-Geneviève) - $26,500:
Over half of all underprivileged families with children in the West Island live in Pierrefonds or Dollard- des-Ormeaux. Centraide will support the Pères à cœur project, which is a collective initiative to promote child development and well-being by getting fathers involved in family life. Counselling, individual assistance and support groups for fathers are some of the services that will be implemented through this project.
Support collaboration between agencies in the south part of the West Island
Community Council - West Island South (Pointe-Claire) - $27,500:
The south sector of the West Island has areas of poverty, particularly in Dorval, Pointe-Claire and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. Centraide will allocate funding to implement and coordinate the new Community Council - West Island South. This is the 32nd round table that Centraide is supporting in Greater Montreal. It will reinforce sector agencies' ability to provide services by identifying the priority issues in their territories and creating a shared action plan.
Strengthen skills to better meet immigrants' needs
Service d'éducation et d'intégration interculturelle de Montréal (Greater Montreal) - $60,200:
The territory of Centraide of Greater Montreal is also home to 83% of Quebec's immigrants. Community agencies must increasingly respond to diverse needs. The Service d'éducation et d'intégration interculturelle de Montréal is located in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie borough. This agency provides training to community agencies in Greater Montreal so that they can develop approaches that account for neighbourhoods' cultural diversity.
FUNDING ALLOCATIONS TO AGENCIES: A RIGOROUS PROCESS
Centraide's allocations process is a product of the expertise and commitment of 60 allocations committee volunteers who analyze funding requests. These committee members ensure that funding is soundly and effectively redistributed so that it has the greatest possible long-term impact. They also make decisions based on Centraide's territorial profiles, which are analysis tools that provide a good understanding of a neighbourhood's social issues and that identify the most promising avenues for investment.
Centraide of Greater Montreal is an independent organization managed by a board of directors that is representative of the community. It serves the Island of Montreal, Laval and a part of the South Shore. Centraide supports 369 community agencies and projects that help half a million vulnerable people. Over 57,000 volunteers are involved with a Centraide-supported agency, and 23,000 volunteers help organize the annual campaign. Centraide is supported by nearly 1,800 private companies and institutions, public and parapublic organizations, and large trade unions. For more info: www.centraide-mtl.org.
SOURCE: CENTRAIDE OF GREATER MONTREAL
Annick Gagnon, Public Relations Coordinator
Phone: 514-288-1261, extension 242, [email protected]
Read Centraide's territorial profiles:
http://www.centraide-mtl.org/en/about-us/publications/
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