Mission Nouvelle Generation (MNG) is an organism that aims to fight poverty. It is primarily a food…read morebank, but also offers certain services like garage/bike/auto repairs and has its own thrift store where you can buy a mix of new and used goods (clothing, toys, furniture, toiletries..). My family has been volunteering here for the past few months. If you, or someone you know on the South Shore is struggling to obtain basic necessities like food, then MNG is a valuable asset. For a very modest price of $10 or $15, you can get an entire shopping cart full of groceries. Lots of healthy options: fruits, vegetables, dairy, breads, canned goods, even deserts and meats. Families don't walk away with just a box of goods, it is literally a whole shopping cart overflowing with food, they are very generous. They even host special donation drives for back-to-school events (in August, you could get very cheap school supplies, books, backpacks, etc), and there should be a special event around Christmas too. A lot of donations come from supermarkets and big chains (Costco) all over the city. Daily donations pour in, pallets and truck loads of food that is still perfectly edible. Sometimes food and items are donated just because their packaging is dented, or missing a label. Food that is not fit for human consumption is shipped off as animal feed. If you do not need the services of a food bank, but want to donate your time, money, or any material good that could be useful for families, I strongly recommend MNG. The place is run by both volunteers and employees- it is such an eye opener when you see all the things supermarkets no longer want on their shelves, and how much it can benefit those in need. The people working here are passionate and those who benefit from the services are so grateful. What a great place! This is my best discovery of 2020.

I had the opportunity to take part of this year's Women's Build 2017, where over 100+ female…read morevolunteers gathered to help construct/renovate affordable housing for those in need. Each volunteer has to raise 500$ minimum in funding to participate. The donations raised cover the cost of construction supplies and contractors/ construction crew that were hired for the build. Habitat for humanity selects home owner applicants based on 1) financial need 2)have the means to pay off a QC mortgage or loan (the organization covers the interest payments on the loan) 3)home owners agree to provide 500 hours of service for Habitat For Humanity (pay it forward for a future build of the restore store). Home owners selected by Habitat for Humanity are assessed annually to re-evaluate their financial status. Volunteers that raise 500$ choose a site to participate in the build. I selected the Hochelega site vs Ormstown site. Transportation for volunteers is available for farther sites. Volunteers sign up for 7 hours (one day-8:30am to 3:30 pm) of service between May-June. On the day of the event, there can be up to 8-9 volunteers. They submit waivers /emergency contacts and review all safety measures on the construction site. Lunch is provided. Volunteers can rotate around stations for trying different tasks. It was a great networking opportunity and I learned a thing or two about real construction vs IKEA assembly of furniture! Looking forward to next year's build! Totally recommend this activity for those wanting to volunteer in the Mtl area!!

NOTE: address change to 640 Lakeshore, suite 103, Dorval QC…read more 514-631-3288 nspiring enabling resource for individuals coping with Arthritis themselves or with a person close to them. Non-profit organization dedicated to helping inform, educate and support.

So I'm walking down Wellington Avenue and I see this line up stretching down the block and around…read morethe corner and it wasn't a supermarket or restaurant take-out so I asked someone in line. It turns out Verdun has a community food bank service that helps those on limited income. When I looked at the folks in line everyone had many shopping bags in the crooks of their arms as well as their two-wheeled shopping caddy's in tow. People forget that before gentrification hit certain "hot" neighbourhoods like Verdun, it was often an economically disadvantaged area where many families, old pensioners, veterans, and the underemployed or unemployed often struggled to make ends meet, put food on the table and keep body and soul together and hence why rents were cheap and services were meagre. Gentrification may give Verdun a veneer of coolness and overpriced real estate now, but the struggling are still here in plain sight. I am lucky enough to not need the service but I came in to check it out and see how it worked. Basically, every Monday between 4-6pm at 5140 Wellington (where the old karate school was) between Desmarchais and 6th Avenue, there is a community food bank where $5 gets you a weeks work of groceries. In a giant plastic box which an army of volunteers are busy getting ready for each patron. A box is presented to you and you put your goods in your bags or caddy. Clearly, what you get will vary wildly from week to week since these are all based on donations and the work of volunteers but I saw fresh baby bok choi, tomatoes, lemons, strawberries, oranges, asparagus, red peppers, mushrooms, Italian parsley, veggie chips, a loaf of grain bread, boxed almond milk, canned soups, granola bars, pastas. The fruits and veggies actually looked in decent shape and not about to go bad at all.If you bring your own freezer pack, you get frozen meat, I saw minced veal and veal sausages. The volunteers were all young, fast and super fit. From what I understand they're always looking for help and they always need donations. With covid, many people have taken an economic hit so I'm actually glad to see services like this in my neighbourhood and the sense of community it fosters. People might struggle but at least there are decent services out there doing good work.

I had the honour of visiting The Depot Community Food Centre - formerly the NDG Food Depot…read moreyesterday and getting a better idea of all the incredible programs being developed and run through this powerful community hub, and then shared whole heartedly by this passionate organization with other food security organizations around Montreal and around the country. Currently located in a former restaurant, the space which they open to the public for community dinners and emergency food box pickup is incredibly welcoming. There are picnic tables outside, small tables and chairs, a welcoming front desk, and a kitchen buzzing with volunteers. Being here truly makes you want to spend more time here. Twice a week this incredible space offers a free community meal to anyone who shows up - literally anyone. They do not ask people to present proof of income or anything like that. The goal here is truly to build community and to break isolation and to forge links between all members of our local Montreal community. The meal that is served showcases recipes that can be made using the exact ingredients made available in the emergency food baskets, so folks come for a meal, pick up their baskets if they need one, and then can get help from a variety of other practitioners including social workers, legal aide, folks who can help with meal planning - these days they are even helping people register and get ready to vote! The best. The chef here helped develop the menu at Damas so volunteers are learning from a very gifted pro, and the community at every level is being treated with love and respect, and respect for good food. There is so much more going on here, including hundreds of kids getting afterschool snacks, hundreds of families growing food through community gardens managed by the depot, intergeneration meals, cultural cooking, good food markets, and just so much more. I'm excited that Yelp will be doing more to be involved with supporting this world-changing organization in the future, so Yelp Elites watch for that, and everyone go check them out and see if there are ways that make sense for you to get involved. Because this is the good stuff.

I had to find a day camp for my daughter for the week and it was difficult as it was very last…read moreminute so I called them asking if they had room and they said they would squeeze her in. I was thankful because I work full time and she needed to be taken care of somewhere so I followed their instructions and filled out the registration to e-mail but in the registration, it said that if someone has special needs (autism), that they absolutely need a shadow. My daughter is very high functioning and did not have a shadow for the previous 7 weeks at another day camp but I called them back, told them that she did not have a shadow and that she could not attend their camp. The person on the phone insisted that it was okay and that she could come anyhow. In the registration application, I indicated that she does wander and just to keep an eye on her. Saint-Raymond's daycamp did not have a problem with her and just kept an eye on her. They took the registration and were like great, come in Monday etc. Monday, her father picks her up and the daycamp kid complains that she is wandering. Yes, this was mentioned on the phone before applying and on the application. Her father said that he would speak to her and they go home. Tuesday, we get a call at around noon saying that she can no longer stay at the camp because she is wandering around, IN THE GYM. When I told them that it was them that insisted that she go regardless, she apologized but it put me in a bad predicament. When I picked her up, Anna was really happy to see me, squealed and came running to me but I look at the other girl daycamp educator kid and she is cringing, holding her ears cause Anna squealed too loud. Then the guy tells me that I probably spoke to someone different on the phone and they gave conflicting information. What the hell? My daughter is telling me that this is her new day camp and that she likes it, but I had to drag her out. It was terrible. They did not even give her a chance. All they had to do was keep an eye on her. They had no patience for her and I was going to find another day camp and they INSISTED that she did not need a shadow even though the application clearly states that every kid with special needs has to have a shadow. That was complete misrepresentation, it put me in a terrible position and no one even wanted to look me in the eyes. They gave me my cheque back and ignored me. Except the blonde teenage guy and the girl teenager who cringed when Anna squealed my name and came running to me but those were 2 second conversations and the girl just told me where here bag was. Worst place ever.

This is a very welcoming place. My daughter enjoyed the summer camp very much. They brought her all…read morearound the city on trips all summer. The staff members were kind and always kept her happy. Very good camp!

I love the staff and mission of the Old Brewery Mission. They address chronic homelessness both for…read moremen and women, provide a 24/7 emergency response hotline and (during non-pandemic times) serve community building suppers and do loads more, but most admirably in my view is that their focus is on ending chronic homelessness. They help people rebuild their lives, and they emphasize access to permanent homes rather than temporary shelters. Respect for the people they serve is paramount. They also put a major emphasis on research and they are in the best possible position to bring insights from the realities of homelessness into meaningful policy and effective social change. Right now they are gathering donations of protective equipment for their frontlines workers and financial donations to support people working in the face of this overwhelming crisis. These are real actual hidden heroes in our town and deserving of all our love and support.

I can say with certitude that the workers at the Old Mission Brewery have one of the most important…read moremission in the world. They have an incredibly big heart and make a real difference in human beings' lives who have been dealt a very hard hand. To give around 110$ of non perishable good was one of the best experience of my life. Thank you for your amazing work Old Mission Brewery!

Every year, my foodie group and I, volunteer at Moisson Montreal by giving some of our time and…read morehelping out with general tasks around the warehouse. This year, 27 of us, spent our afternoon sorting through goods and boxing up cans to be distributed to over 230 local food banks. Moisson Montreal is Canada's biggest food bank and basically collect goods from supermarkets and through donations to redistribute to the local community. They are one of the top 10 charities in Canada for being able to multiply their donations, meaning for every dollar received they give back 15$ in donations; that's huge! They have a very welcoming and friendly staff, and they always make my volunteering experience fun and rewarding. Can't wait to do it again!