It’s amazing to walk through the halls of Welcome Hall Mission and consider all of the lives that have been changed over the past 125 years. Today I want to share a brief story that I encountered during my first week as CEO. I was observing some of the hundreds of people who were receiving free groceries at our multi-service building, when a lovely-looking family caught my eye. I noticed them walk in looking bewildered and fearful. Mom and Dad were trying to act confident; the two children looked like they were on the verge of tears. We found out that they had been in the city for one week, having immigrated from Kazakhstan. One of our senior staff engaged the children and soon had a few smiles for her efforts while another employee ensured that the family was able to obtain the food that they needed. It warmed my heart to see my colleagues’ empathy first-hand. I’ll never forget that day. Over the last few months, I have been privileged to observe many stories of hope, inspiration and courage like this one. Without the help of generous people like you, that family and thousands of others may have gone hungry that week. I invite you to see in the following pages what other recent accomplishments you’ve made possible and our plans for the future. Again, I thank you for your support.

Because you helped by sending in generous gifts, hundreds of people have found crucial support through their struggles with poverty and homelessness.

YOUR GIFTS MAKE AN IMPACT

2016/17 Financials (Thousands of Dollars)

No matter what service they use, all of our clients here at the Mission hold a special place in our hearts. Danny is no exception. This is his story: Danny is 29 years old. When he was a child, his mother’s boyfriend was physically abusive toward him. It’s heartbreaking to think about, but because of the abuse he endured, his mouth didn’t develop properly and his teeth didn’t grow in normally. He was removed from the abusive situation when he was four, but as soon as he started school, he began to be bullied about his teeth. He developed very low self-esteem, rarely smiling and talking only with a hand in front of his mouth. When he turned 24, Danny moved to Montreal, but he had a difficult time finding work. Due to his appearance, he was very shy in interviews. For over a year he struggled and began to lose faith that he would be able to make it in this new city.

Thankfully, his girlfriend knew of a way that she could help him. She introduced him to Welcome Hall Mission’s Youth Services and things started to take a turn for the better. He began dropping in to hang out and developed relationships with the staff. But he was afraid to share anything personal, and didn’t want to ask for help. Over time, though, he began to open up more about his struggles and his oral health issues. Our Youth Services staff listened and eventually referred him to our Jim Lund Dental Clinic. The clinic performed several major surgeries to remove his teeth and set him up with a denturist who fit him with dentures at no charge. Danny finally had a reason to smile! Working with our staff, he found an apartment and even got a spot in our culinary skills acquisition program. Slowly but surely his self-confidence grew and by the end of the program, Danny had completed Quebec’s MAPAQ certifications in Food Establishment Management and Food Safety. Today, Danny has a full-time job on our kitchen team as a cook in our emergency shelter! He loves the work he does, and even mentors other students in our training program.

Here are some of the reasons people donate: