Another new year has begun. As always, I’m reflecting on the amazing work that we have done together, thanks to donors like you.

In the past year we provided thousands of meals and nights of safe shelter, provided backpacks to children, gave support to new mothers and families, and overall worked towards a more equitable Montreal for everyone.

As I look ahead to a new year, I feel so hopeful, and so inspired by this community. By donors like you.

Your support goes far beyond just offering short term solutions. Your partnership means that we can adapt, grow, and continue to meet the evolving needs of our city.

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter and seeing the impact that you are having every single day. Inside, you’ll meet Lurie, and learn how donations like yours helped his family build a bright new life in Canada. You’ll also see a collection of photos from our 18th annual Noël pour tous event, where you helped provide Christmas gifts to over 2,000 children.

I’m also overjoyed to share that our new transitional housing building is opening its doors in early 2025. This building is a huge step forward as we move from an emergency shelter model, to one focused on transitional housing and getting people into permanent homes faster.

It is thanks to donors like you that we are able to accomplish everything that we can. Thank you!

With gratitude,

This year was our 18th annual Noël pour tous toy giveaway event. I wish you could have been there to see the smiles on children’s faces, and to feel the joy and energy as we handed out toys to over 2,000 children.

What an incredible event it was, thanks to donors like you! Air Canada generously sponsored this year’s event, and the theme was Travel to Santa’s Kingdom. Children arrived at “the airport” and received a boarding pass. Then they “boarded” an Air Canada plane and traveled all the way to the North Pole!

When they landed, they found themselves in a truly magical place, and of course received some sweet holiday treats. In the North Pole children visited the various realms of Santa’s kingdom: giant toys, mischievous elves, land of the ice princess and then the gingerbread men. Every child got to meet Santa and take home a special toy.

Our new mascot PO, was also present to bring an extra dose of joy for children.

Thank you so much for helping make this annual event one of the highlights of the year.

When Lurie and his family first moved to Canada in 2012, the transition wasn’t easy.

After spending their lives in Moldova, everything they found in Montreal was new and overwhelming. Lurie had dreamed of the opportunities Canada would offer his young family, but the reality was more difficult than he could have imagined.

None of his family spoke French. He and his wife’s education and career knowledge did not transfer to their new life. His son was 7 and he struggled to fit in at school.

Overwhelmed by a new city and culture, he wondered how they would manage.

Thankfully, the government had set his family up with French classes. Through these classes, and the Moldovan community in Montreal, he was soon connected to Welcome Hall Mission. This would prove to make all the difference as the family adjusted to their new life.

They lived in a small apartment in Lasalle. After paying rent each month, there was little left for anything else. Lurie was beyond relieved and grateful when he heard of the Mission and learned that he could access support and receive free groceries. The family came every Wednesday for groceries.

This was in 2012, so it was a proper book bank, before it became the Marché Bon Accueil. Even so, he remembers there being a wide selection of food for his family to choose from.

They relied not only on groceries, but also benefited from the many programs that support families.

Lurie’s son received school supplies and shoes each year through Rentrée la Tête Haute, and a special Christmas gift through Noël pour tous. The Mission was even able to help provide some furnishings for their apartment, helping them to feel like they were building a real home.

Over the first year in Canada, the whole family started school in order to learn French and get to know their new home and its rich culture. It was very difficult to adjust and to learn French. French was their third language, after Romanian and Russian. Though it was a lot of hard work, Lurie kept reminding himself that his 7 year old son was doing the same thing. The family worked hard together to learn and support each other.

Soon, Lurie got a job as a security guard. And later, as an electrician, which was closer to his certification as an engineer in Moldova. His wife started on equivalency courses for schooling done back in Moldova.

Through all these challenges — new country, culture, and language — donors like you were there for Lurie and his family. Through all of the stress and worry of building a new life, they did not have to worry about not having enough to eat, or of not being able to provide for their son.

Now, it has been 13 years since they arrived in Canada and the family is thriving! Lurie works as an electrician for his own company, CBA électrique inc, which operates out of the south shore of Montreal and his wife has built a successful career as well. He and his wife also have another son, who is now 8 years old, the only of the four of them born in Canada.

“Life is a lot easier now, not perfect, but easier,” says Lurie. “I have my community, my family, my company and Welcome Hall Mission will always be a part of my family’s success story. Thank you.”

Stories like Lurie’s show how truly transformative your generosity can be.

Thank you so much for empowering Lurie’s family, and so many more, to build vibrant lives here in Montreal!

You may or may not have heard yet, but we are thrilled to announce that the recently purchased building at 2222 rue Ontario E is opening its doors in early 2025!

Welcome Hall Mission has been working hard to rethink how we provide our services and we are moving away from the emergency shelter model. Instead, we are focusing more on transitional housing as a way to get people permanently off the street and into their own space.

This new building is an incredible step in our move towards more transitional housing. It is our first location in the east-end of the city and will help transitionally house up to 50 people at a time, including eight beds specifically dedicated to women.

Thanks to donors like you, this new initiative will offer the following: 50 beds in semi-private rooms, including 8 beds for women on a private floor 24/7 security team to promote the safety and well-being of residents. Three nutritious meals per day to be enjoyed in private or in the shared dining area. A fully equipped laundry room for residents to use at their leisure. A lounge room for television, games and social activities for all to enjoy. A café on the ground floor for residents to sip on their morning coffee. An outdoor terrace to appreciate the beautiful weather. Weekly one on one meetings with Welcome Hall Mission Intervention Workers, to help each individual work on their specific needs and find their permanent home.

At the Mission, we want to see a Montreal, and a world, where everyone has hope, dignity, and a place to call home. To accomplish a dream this big, we need to work with partners near and far to collaborate, learn from each other, and work towards a better future for everyone.

That’s why we were so excited to have 20 staff members attend the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness Conference in Ottawa this October.

Our biggest takeaway was that we don’t have a homelessness problem in this country, we have a housing and affordability crisis. It was truly a blessing to be able to come together with so many like minded professionals to discuss how to end homelessness in Canada.

Thank You to the HSS – Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Canada Group! In November, for the second year in a row, we received an incredibly generous donation of food from the HSS – Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Canada Group!

This food was distributed through our Marché Bon Acceuil and made an impact for families in need of groceries over the holiday season. Community engagement like this makes such a huge impact at the Mission and in Montreal.

We are so grateful for the continued support from the HSS – Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Canada Group – thank you!

Our socks and undies campaign gives you the opportunity to make a huge difference this winter.

As you know, winter in Montreal can be dangerously cold. During the winter months, essential items like dry socks and clean underwear are game-changers, keeping frostbite and hypothermia at bay. But these basics are about more than safety—they’re about dignity. Because dignity starts with the basics. Every winter, we hand out hundreds of pairs of socks and underwear to people experiencing homelessness.

This is only possible thanks to the incredible generosity of our community.

Please help us make this the most successful Socks and Undies campaign ever, so that everyone in Montreal has access to the basics.

If you want to give to this special cause, please donate online at: welcomehallmission.com/socksand-undies.

We’ve already got our eye on Easter! Did you know that our Easter meal is one of the Mission’s largest events of the year?

Our annual Easter dinner is a very special moment of support and community for people experiencing homelessness.

With every plate, we’re serving so much more than food. We’re sharing care, community, and a sense of hope and renewal for the year ahead.

None of this would be possible without all the amazing support from caring Montrealers like you. Thank you for your generous support, it is changing lives in every season!