Saputo and Power Corporation of Canada donate an additional $1 million to Centraide of Greater Montreal to facilitate the integration of Syrian refugees

MONTREAL, June 20, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Saputo and Power Corporation of Canada today marked World Refugee Day by announcing additional corporate donations to Centraide of Greater Montreal totalling $1 million. This sum will be added to the special fund for agencies in Centraide's network that work to successfully integrate Syrian refugees.

These two companies, which already contribute generously to Centraide's annual campaign, will each donate an additional $500,000. Their gifts come on top of the $500,000 donation announced last February by Cogeco, thereby bringing the amount in this special fund for the integration of Syrian refugees to $1.5 million. This fund will be used to enhance the existing services offered by the agencies that work with these refugees: information, guidance and referral (housing, nutrition, employment, etc.), support for families (assistance in accessing the school system, drop-in respite centres, parenting skills development, etc.), fighting against discrimination, and intercultural matching.

"The agencies in our network are deeply rooted in the community," explained Lili-Anna Pereša, President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal. "They welcome new immigrants and help them to get settled in the community so they can start enriching it in various ways. These new donations will help the agencies to create favourable conditions for the successful integration of Syrian refugees."

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: centraide-mtl.org.

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

SOURCE Centraide of Greater Montreal

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