The Governments of Canada and Quebec invests in Café Rencontre du Centre-ville in Quebec City

QUEBEC, Aug. 22, 2024 /CNW/ - The Café Rencontre's thrift store will expand thanks to the investment of $622 833 from the Federal government.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos announced three projects, including the acquisition of a new building, will allow Café Rencontre to continue to offer necessary services for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, have low incomes and for youth.

Through the Canada-Quebec Reaching Home Agreement, the federal government is committed to preventing and reducing homelessness across the country in urban, Indigenous, rural and remote communities. Quebec provides financial support for the organization's operations through the Community Organizations Support Program.

The acquisition of the new building will better support the organization's thrift store by providing three times the size of the space to centralize essential resources and have access to a warehouse. The thrift store will be able to receive more donations of clothing and other items and thus increase its revenues, which contribute directly to filling the plates of its soup kitchen.

The funding will also be used for the Porte-clé Program, which supports the organization's clientele with moving in or out of homes for people who are homeless or experiencing residential instability.

Everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home, but far too many people face the daily unacceptable reality of homelessness. In 2019, the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec concluded the Canada-Quebec Agreement on Vers un chez-soi, recognizing that the deployment of this program must respect Quebec's jurisdictions in health and social services, the orientations, priorities and organizational structures of Quebec services, which makes it possible to develop and implement community plans with clear results in order to meet local priorities and the needs of specific populations.

Quotes

"This new thrift store is very good news for residents of the Saint-Roch district, and especially for Café Rencontre regulars who will be able to continue to find comfort with Patrice Lescoute and his dedicated team."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Member of Parliament for Quebec and Minister of Public Services and Procurement, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

"The acquisition of these new premises for the benefit of the Café Rencontre organization is excellent news. We must continue to combine efforts to address the homelessness crisis. This includes supporting organizations that have a detailed understanding of the reality of communities and the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of the most vulnerable people. I am happy to see this initiative take shape."

Lionel Carmant, Minister responsible for Social Services and Member for Taillon

"It is a privilege for us to receive this funding to improve our services to meet the needs of people who are in difficult situations, or even homeless. At the same time, Café Rencontre du centre-ville will be able to continue to support low-income families in the St-Roch district by tripling its retail space. At the same time, we hope to be able to improve our financial support for the soup kitchen."

Patrice Lescoute, General Manager of Café Rencontre

Quick facts

• The Agreement establishes the terms of collaboration between Canada and Quebec for the joint implementation and monitoring of Vers un chez-soi. It is consistent with Quebec's jurisdiction in health and social services, the orientations, priorities and organizational structures of Quebec's services and is consistent with Canada's orientations and priorities in preventing and reducing homelessness.
• In Quebec, the implementation of the Reaching Home program is governed by the Canada-Quebec Agreement on Reaching Home.
• The Integrated Health and Social Services Centres (CISSS) and the Integrated University Health and Social Services Centres (CIUSSS) have the mandate to determine the orientations, in collaboration with community stakeholders, to select and establish funding agreements for Reaching Home projects in Quebec.
• The CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale was a key player in the realization of Café Rencontre du centre-ville's project in Quebec City.

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SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Micaal Ahmed, Communications Manager, Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, 343-598-3920, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Lambert Drainville , Press Secretary, Cabinet du ministre responsable des Services sociaux, 418-264-4146; Patrice Lescoute, General Manager, Café Rencontre du Centre-ville, 418-640-0915 x 221, [email protected]