Dear Friend,

As the new year begins, I’d like to reflect on our successes this past year. Because of support like yours, we were able to witness so many wonderful moments of transformation.

Thanks to your generous support, we were able to provide heaping plates of delicious food to hungry Montrealers across the city. Their smiling faces made this Christmas an unforgettable one!

My team and I are pleased to be partnering with The Home Depot Foundation of Canada to provide support and services to young families and youth in Montreal North in 2020.

A new year is here, but there are still many more months of harsh winter weather to endure. Families experiencing poverty or homelessness face hard days ahead this winter, but we have faith that together we’ll meet their needs, thanks to your unwavering support. 

Your gifts make a difference every day, and we appreciate your commitment to making our city a better place. Thank you for your kindness, compassion, and dedication to helping those in need!

With gratitude,

P.S. If you’re looking to increase your impact, why not switch to monthly giving? It’s easy to do! Just go to https://welcomehallmission.com/donate/ and select “Monthly”!

If this past year has taught me anything, it’s that you can overcome anything with a little faith. My name is Roy, and I’d like to share my story with you. 

The truth is, I’ve struggled with alcohol my entire life. No matter what I tried or where I went, my addiction always followed close behind, dragging me deeper and deeper down. 

Last year, my drinking problem became unbearable and I ended up with nowhere to go. 

I was down and out with no resources, no hope and no one to turn to. But after 60 years of letting booze run the show, I finally said, “enough is enough,” and decided to seek help. 

I managed to get myself into a rehab program, and somehow by the grace of God, I was entered into the Reinsertion Program at Welcome Hall Mission. I don’t know where I’d be without their support at that critical time.

At the Mission, their motto is Shelter, Food and Love—and let me tell you, I have found all of these things during my time here.

I remember one night I was walking back to my room, I noticed an inscription from Ephesians 2:8-9 written on the wall. It said, “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” This message has really stuck with me. I truly believe that God placed the Mission right in my path. 

I’ve been living in short-term housing for a few months, and recently I was accepted into my own apartment through a partnered program called ‘Projet Logement Montreal’.

It’s crazy to think of what a difference a year can make. A year ago, I was drunk and helpless, living on the streets with no hope for the future. Today, my life has completely transformed. I’m currently getting ready to rejoin the workforce, feeling stronger and more capable every day. Because of Welcome Hall Mission, I step into each new day with a grateful heart. 

Transformation isn’t an easy process, and there are struggles every day. But now, when I look at myself in the mirror, I feel good about what I see. Most important of all, I have hope, and a community that supports me. 

I am so grateful to the Mission for helping me transform my life. Thanks to them, I’m on this path towards healing, and getting back to living a normal healthy life.

Since 2015, our Micro Enterprise Program has been working to alleviate poverty in our community. This program is off to an amazing start in 2020, as we welcome over a dozen new participants on board!

 The Micro Enterprise Program provides real-world career training for young people between the ages of 15 and 30 who are facing homelessness or are living in precariousness.

The program includes resume building, counselling, group work, and homework to equip participants to thrive. This special yearlong program provides participants with a paid 35-hour week, where they learn how to cook and work in a team kitchen environment. 

The Micro Enterprise Program also acts as a catering service, allowing participants to put their newly acquired skills work! This service includes events like weddings, corporate lunch boxes for meetings, and ‘ready to eat’ customizable meals. 

The Micro Enterprise catering service offers catering, as well as plated and buffet lunch options. If you’d like to experience top-notch catering while helping youth build skills for the future, we’d love to hear from you! For catering inquiries, please contact microentreprise@missionba.com.

This Christmas, we kicked off the season with our annual toy giveaway for underprivileged children, Noël pour tous. This year, over 6,000 gifts brought smiles to children in Montreal! 

Our staff also worked hard to create a festive atmosphere at our free grocery store, Marche Bon Accueil, so low-income families could enjoy their holiday shopping. To commemorate the season, everyone took home a delicious turkey! 

Thanks to donors like you, our annual Christmas Dinner was an incredible success, nourishing body and soul as it created opportunities for connection and transformation. 

We are currently busy getting ready for our upcoming Easter Dinner—and your support is key to making that happen.

Thank you for making transformations possible with your amazing generosity!