Centraide of Greater Montreal rewards initiatives to fight poverty and social exclusion

MONTREAL, Feb. 18, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Centraide of Greater Montreal recognized the important contributions of community agencies and companies to the fight against poverty and social exclusion at an event held this evening at the Montréal Science Centre.

Nearly 350 representatives from the business and community sector attended the ceremony, which saw 13 Solidaires and 3 Coup de cœur awards presented to employees, senior executives, union leaders, and community agency staff and volunteers in recognition of their commitment to Greater Montreal's collective well-being.

Centraide of Greater Montreal, which helps one in seven people in difficulty in Montreal, in Laval, and on the South Shore, also announced that it raised $57.5 million in 2018 thanks to the help of individual and corporate donors.

"It's important to recognize the contributions of people in our network, who do everything they can to benefit those going through hard times. They improve the lives of thousands of people with a real and above all lasting impact," explained Lili-Anna Pereša, President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal.

The Solidaires and the Coup de cœur winners were chosen by two juries of representatives from the community.

The winners of the Solidaires to Agencies are:

• La Relance jeunes et familles, Solidaires Empowerment
• NDG Community Council, Solidaires Mobilization
• Parents' Committee for the 18th Saint-Michel Gala for Newborns, Solidaires Citizen Involvement
• Jean Panet-Raymond, Coordinator, Citizenship Participation Committee and Neighbourhood Plan Evaluation, Solidaires Leadership
• Tania Charron, Executive Director, Action jeunesse de l'Ouest-de-l'Île (AJOI), Solidaires NextGen

The winners of the Solidaires to Companies are:

• TC Transcontinental, Solidaires Corporate Commitment, 1,000 plus employees
• Énergie Valero, Solidaires Corporate Commitment, 999 employees or less
• TD Bank Group, Solidaires Mobilization, 1,000 plus employees
• RGA Life Reinsurance Company of Canada, Solidaires Mobilization, 999 employees or less
• Solotech, Solidaires NextGen
• Hydro-Québec, Solidaires Innovation
• UNIFOR Local 522, CAE, Solidaires Union Leadership
• Hélène Silicani and Jacques Thibault, METRO, Solidaires Citizen Involvement

Special "Coup de cœur" awards were given to BMO Financial Group (Corporate Commitment category, 1,000 plus employees), to the Real Estate and Construction Division of Centraide's Campaign Cabinet (Innovation category) and to Solange Goulet at BCF Business Law (Citizen Involvement category).

The Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire Award, which honours the exceptional contribution of a major volunteer to Centraide of Greater Montreal's development, was given to L. Jacques Ménard, President Emeritus, BMO Financial Group, Quebec. Mr. Ménard has shown exceptional commitment to Centraide as an outstanding ambassador. He has supported Centraide both at his company and in Montreal's financial sector. Over the years, he has placed great importance on his social and philanthropic commitment.

Centraide of Greater Montreal is active in the territories of Laval, Montreal and the South Shore. About 57,000 volunteers are involved with the 350 agencies that it supports, and 22,000 volunteers work on its annual campaign. Centraide has a presence in 18 regions in Quebec and is supported by private, public and parapublic corporations and institutions as well as large trade unions. The money raised is invested locally to break the cycle of poverty and social exclusion. For more information: centraide-mtl.org.

For more information about the Solidaires winners:
solidaires-centraide.org/agencies-winners 
solidaires-centraide.org/companies-winners

SOURCE Centraide of Greater Montreal

For further information: Annick Gagnon, Public Relations Advisor, Centraide of Greater Montreal, 514-288-1261, ext. 242, [e-mail]

Related Links

http://www.centraide-mtl.org