Centraide of Greater Montreal launches its 2017 campaign and celebrates 375 years of generosity
MONTREAL, Oct. 4, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Centraide of Greater Montreal's 2017 campaign was launched today in downtown Montreal during its Generosity March, which also celebrated 375 years of generous support in the community. Social development stakeholders joined Centraide to celebrate the value of generosity that we all share. The 20,000 people who attented the March included public sector and community agency representatives, volunteers, donors, and personalities from the business world, trade unions, and culture, sports and media.
"It is our civic responsibility to be socially engaged. Centraide brings together as many people and financial resources as possible to meet our society's greatest needs. We must also remember that one out of six people in Greater Montreal lives in poverty," stated Campaign Co-Chair Louis Audet, President and CEO of Cogeco.
"We have to get people mobilized to change things. This is what Centraide does by getting people involved and by encouraging mutual support in our community. Centraide supports agencies that adapt to people's needs and that change people's lives," added James C. Cherry, Corporate Director, who is co-chairing the campaign with Mr. Audet.
"Montreal was built on the values of mutual support and generosity, and these values have also formed Centraide's core from the start. A community is stronger when it cares and looks for new ideas and ways to give back. Our goal is to help everyone get an equal chance and the resources to develop their full potential," stated Lili-Anna Pereša, President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal.
Centraide has always made sound investments to improve the living conditions of young people and families in need so that we can build the Montreal of tomorrow. Poverty for these individual means many things. It means being two times more likely to drop out of high school. It means experiencing physical or mental health problems. It means being isolated and not having a network. It also means having a reduced life expectancy.
Nearly 350 agencies rely on the Centraide campaign to provide tools to one out of seven people in Montreal so that they can break out of the cycle of poverty and social exclusion.
Centraide runs its fundraising campaign for the general public, businesses and organizations thanks to the commitment of 22,000 volunteers who canvas for donations until the end of December.
Centraide of Greater Montreal covers Laval, Montreal and the South Shore. About 57,000 volunteers are involved with the agencies that it supports, and 22,000 volunteers work on its annual campaign. Centraide is supported by private, public and parapublic corporations and institutions as well as large trade unions that hold 1,600 workplace campaigns every year. The money raised is invested locally to break the cycle of poverty and social exclusion. Quebec has 18 Centraides that support 1,500 community agencies and projects that offer help and comfort to 1.3 million vulnerable people.
Thank you to our partners—the RTL, STM, STL, Ville de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Ville de Montréal—for their help with the Generosity March.
You can make a donation online at centraide-mtl.org.
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SOURCE Centraide of Greater Montreal
For further information: Annick Gagnon, Public Relations Advisor, 514-288-1261, extension 242, [email protected]
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