16th Guignolée du Dr Julien, Saturday, December 15, 2018 - Let's encourage children to be their best

The Fondation du Dr Julien is launching its 16^th Guignolée to benefit community social pediatrics, a local approach to providing overall health care and services to vulnerable children.

MONTREAL, Dec. 7, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - The 16^th Guignolée du Dr Julien will be held on Saturday, December 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This major fundraiser calls on the public to show their generosity through donations benefiting the Fondation du Dr Julien's community social pediatrics centres (CSPC), so they can provide comprehensive health services to very vulnerable children.

"The Guignolée is a key time of year for the Fondation, because it gives us the opportunity to raise community awareness about Quebec's most vulnerable children and the importance of keeping them healthy. The money raised during the Guignolée represents nearly one third of the funds needed to provide our care and services. Therefore, the contributions of the general public and businesses remain essential to helping us provide care to and empower as many children as possible," explains Dr Gilles Julien, social pediatrician, Founding President and Chief Executive Officer, of the foundation that bears his name. See Dr Julien speak about the event.

Three centres of expertise
The Fondation du Dr Julien runs the three community social pediatrics centres in Montreal that provide services, expertise and training: the Assistance d'enfants en difficulté (AED) centre in the Hochelaga neighbourhood, the Garage à musique (GAM) in the Maisonneuve neighbourhood, and the Centre de services préventifs à l'enfance (CSPE) in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood. In 2017, following a full and comprehensive medical assessment, over 2,600 youth benefited from 32,800 direct interventions for medical and psychosocial treatment, legal assistance, psychoeducational and educational support, innovative therapies (art therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy) and specialized services (speech language therapy, psychology, pediatric psychiatry and neuropsychology, and group music practice). This year, the three centres will open their doors to the public on the day of the Guignolée. See Gaëlle Vekemans, General Manager of the AED centre, talk about her experience [in French].

A new address for the CSPE
The CSPE has relocated to 3600 De Kent Street, in one of Montreal's ancestral homes which dates back to 1825 and has been renovated and made available to children and families by a major donor and member of the Fondation's board of directors, Michel-Éric Fournelle. This is an exceptional location for the CSPE, which plays an amazing role in the integration and inclusion of immigrant families who have settled in the neighbourhood. In addition to community social pediatrics care, the CSPE provides services that help children prepare for school, such as the Camp accès à l'école, and adjust to the classroom through theatre and homework assistance.

Social innovation that drives development
The Fondation du Dr Julien never stops innovating to empower children and their families, stimulate them and encourage them to believe they can realize their full potential, while respecting all their fundamental rights. That is why Me Hélène (Sioui) Trudel, Founding Director, Integrated Law, Social Innovation and Development at the Fondation, launched the Garage à musique (GAM) in 2009, a specialized community pediatrics centre that integrates knowledge in neuroscience. The team fosters the development of youth through community social pediatrics, the Centre d'accès scolaire and the group practice of music as a powerful development tool. Today, over 700 children and youth attend the GAM each week.

In 2017, Me Trudel also launched a pilot project called Child Links with Adults and Networks (CLAN), to empower 9- to 13-year-old children from difficult circumstances through workshops, teaching them their rights and obligations as well as tools for peaceful communication and social entrepreneurship. The goal is to build a protective circle within their community; adults are invited to participate in workshops designed for them, to learn about children's rights and tools for support and to train outreach families.

Throughout Quebec
The other CSPCs in Quebec will also hold their own Guignolée this same day, independently, but in connection with the Fondation du Dr Julien. The money raised in each of these centres will fund the care and services provided in their community. There are currently 21 CSPCs certified in Dr Julien's approach and ten in the certification process, in addition to the three centres of expertise run by the Fondation. Together, the CSPCs provide professional service to nearly 7,300 children, and their families, throughout Quebec, in connection with the community and institutions.

Program for December 15
Festivities and guided tours of the centres are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To see the full schedule, visit http://guignoleedrjulien.org/en/schedule/.

• The AED, located at 1600 Aylwin Street, is the headquarters for the Guignolée and will be the site for wonderful indoor and outdoor activities, hosted by the Guignolée's godmother, Ève Christian, and godfather, Christian Bégin.
• Starting at 7 a.m., the radio show Samedi et rien d'autre, hosted by Joël Le Bigot, will be broadcast live on ICI Radio-Canada Première until 11 a.m., for the 13^th consecutive year. This will be followed by various activities, performers and a visit from the real Santa Claus for all children!
• At 1 p.m., Jean-Charles Lajoie will referee his 10^th street hockey game with the children of the AED and various local celebrities, including players from the Impact, in partnership with 91.9 Sport.
• At 2 p.m. the young Atom hockey players team from the Rosemont Petite-Patrie Minor Hockey Association will be playing with us for a 2^nd street hockey game
• The GAM, located at 2080 Bennett Street, will be the scene of several live music performances by children and youth. Guitar and choral ensembles, creative workshops and other surprises await you! See Patrick Coiteux, General Manager and Musical Director of the GAM and Amélie Simard Duchesneau, Coordinator at the Centre d'accès scolaire, talk about their work [in French].
• The CSPE, located at 3600 De Kent Street since last month, will open its doors to the public for the very first time; world music and face painting for the children are planned for the morning. This is a great opportunity to tour this incredible neighbourhood ancestral home! See Vedrana Petrovic, General Manager of the CSPE, talk about the centre [in French].

Many ways to give to the Guignolée du Dr Julien

• Online at http://guignoleedrjulien.org/en.
• By telephone at 1-855-DRJULIEN (1-855-375-8543) with the support of TELUS.
• By mail, by sending a cheque to the Fondation du Dr Julien (1601 Aylwin Street, Montreal, QC, H1W 3B9) or to one of the centres in your community.
• By downloading the free Fondation du Dr Julien e-sticker pack, available on the App Store. For each download, Jean Coutu will donate $10 to the Fondation, up to $40,000. These are stickers of encouragement that can be sent by text message.
• In person:
• In Montreal, by giving to the volunteers of the Fondation du Dr Julien who will be collecting donations on December 15, in the streets of Montreal, at public markets (Jean-Talon, Atwater and Maisonneuve) and at the Salon des métiers d'arts (Montréal Craft Show), at Place Bonaventure.
• Elsewhere in Quebec: to see the list of certified centres in Quebec, go to http://guignoleedrjulien.org/en.

About the Fondation du Dr Julien
The Fondation du Dr Julien's mission is to give as many children as possible living in vulnerable circumstances access to community social pediatrics care and services, to help them develop to their full potential and enjoy greater well-being in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also trains, guides and certifies a network of community social pediatrics centres (CSPC) in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. Today, 34 CSPCs provide care to and empower some 7,300 children and their families in Quebec.

SOURCE Fondation du Dr Julien

Requests for interviews before and during the Guignolée: Elisa Baldet, Fondation du Dr Julien, 514-467-2445 (cell), [email protected]; Anne Pedicelli, Fondation du Dr Julien, 514-527-3777, Ext. 268, or 514-588-3794 (cell), [email protected]