I often think about how much I wish you could join me for a day at the Mission to witness something incredible.

You’d likely notice what I do every day: how we go beyond basic needs to address the whole person. How we’re creating spaces where people feel valued and seen not for their circumstances, but for their potential.

Yet I don’t just see the visible—I also see the invisible, yet still very much present. I see the love, care, and support of people like you.

When a mother tells us her children are finally sleeping through the night, I think of you. When a family shares they’ve secured housing after months of instability, your support is what made that breathing room possible. When a gentleman tells me it was the best meal he had in weeks, I know it’s because we all came together to rally around him.

These aren’t abstract outcomes—they’re real lives changing because you chose to care.

And if you can believe it’s possible, the positive change just keeps growing from there.

The mother who finds stability today could be raising Montreal’s leaders of tomorrow. The family that secures housing will be able to support at-risk neighbours and combat further homelessness. The gentleman who has the chance to think after a meal becomes a mentor to people facing the same challenges.

Your support doesn’t just build up individuals—it builds up and heals Montreal.

As summer gives way to fall, thank you for being with us through every season. I say that not just because of what your support allows us to do, but for the message it sends to everyone who walks through our doors:

“You matter, your story has value, and your community believes in you.”

With deep gratitude,

Robert and Claire, like many supporters, began their journey with Welcome Hall Mission through small acts of kindness.

A holiday donation here, a grocery contribution there. What started as occasional giving gradually grew as the Mission did too—and it blossomed into a lifelong commitment to helping Montrealers in need.

“When you see people getting back on their feet, it just feels right to keep supporting that work,” Claire reflects.

After witnessing the impact of their giving over decades, they made a decision that perhaps you’ve also considered—including Welcome Hall Mission in their will.

“We thought about how we wanted to be remembered, and we honestly couldn’t think of a better way than through the Mission,” says Robert with certainty.

For Robert and Claire, legacy giving provides a meaningful way to be remembered in their community. For others, it provides a way for their personal values to endure. For others still, they want to establish a family legacy of philanthropy.

Whatever your motivation, planned giving comes down to the same belief: that touching countless lives and making Montreal better is something we can do not just today, but for generations to come.

Behind the dust, bricks, and blueprints at our Saint-Henri construction site lies a bigger story.

It’s a story about what happens when Montrealers like you refuse to accept that women should have to choose between addressing their mental health or finding shelter.

Right now, eight studio apartments are taking shape in our Saint-Henri building. Soon, they’ll be the first space in Montreal dedicated specifically to women experiencing both homelessness and mental illness.

This PRISM project (Projet de réaffiliation en itinérance et santé mentale) is modelled after the existing men’s units, which have already helped 80% of its residents successfully transition out of homelessness and into either ongoing care programs or permanent housing.

The men’s program has shown us what’s possible. Now, thanks to your generosity and kindness, women who have been waiting far too long will have the same opportunity.

Unlike traditional approaches that treat housing and mental health separately, this innovative partnership with the Jewish General Hospital and the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal addresses both simultaneously, providing specialized psycho-social support within a stable living environment.

For many women, this will be the first time they’ve had a space where they can access this holistic care and be treated as a whole person with complex needs yet incredible potential.

With every wall raised, every door painted, and every detail finished, our collective commitment to the most vulnerable women in our community is reinforced.

Thank you for being with us through it all. And thank you for believing that mental health support should be accessible to everyone!

Julia Blanco remembers freezing winter days, standing in line outside an emergency shelter. She would rub her hands together for warmth, just hoping she’d get a bed that night.

She was already dealing with the stress of having her phone and wallet stolen, her bank account and pension frozen, and a family emergency… She didn’t want to deal with the stress of having to search for a place to sleep every night.

“Nobody wants to be on the streets,” she says frankly. But sometimes circumstances beyond your control force you there.

She knew this all too well. As a retired teacher at Concordia University, she never thought this was where her life would lead. She worked hard and did everything she could to avoid homelessness.

Thankfully, there’s you looking out for people like Julia! Now, more Montrealers can remove a little stress. Now, they have a place to sleep each night in safety and dignity and can wake up with a fresh start.

A newly renovated transitional housing space at 2222 Ontario St. E. welcomed its first residents in April and will create a crucial bridge between homelessness and permanent housing for 50 people.

But it’s more than just housing.

Each room represents the belief you share with us: that everyone deserves both a safe place to stay and the opportunity to rebuild their life.

Residents will have access to three meals a day, laundry services, workshops, and connections to services like addiction recovery, mental health support, and healthcare. Most people will stay around three months while they transition to permanent housing.

“This is peace of mind,” says Julia with a smile on her face when she reflects on her new transitional unit. “It’s good because you know that you’re not forced to just go. I’m looking forward to finding a permanent place to call home, but in the meantime, I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”

Thank you for caring for people like Julia! You’re giving them peace of mind, a safe place to stay, and the first step to a fresh start.

One day, Nadine was barely able to get out of bed, spending her last few dollars on a box of diapers, and at a loss for how she’d get by as a single mom.

The next day, she “remembered the feeling of loneliness going away.”

The difference? Kind people like you formed a village around her to help her raise her daughter.

Because you gave this past Mother’s Day, young moms like Nadine now have starter kits of baby essentials, parenting workshops, safe housing, career counselling, and meetups with other moms.

“Just being able to connect with other mothers like myself gave me so much hope,” she reflects. “I left that [day] motivated and I haven’t looked back.”