Ready to help over the holidays? You are needed
Volunteers needed to cook turkeys, drive people home
Well-known charities are faced with a strange problem this time of year — a surplus of volunteers. Spots to serve Christmas dinner to the homeless fill up quickly at many Montreal shelters. Dans la Rue doesn’t need any more volunteers for Christmas dinner. And Moisson Montréal isn’t accepting volunteer applications until the new year.
This can leave generous Montrealers at a loss over where to lend their services on Christmas and New Year’s.
However, there are many charities that work right through the holidays and are still in need of assistance:
THE OPEN DOOR
The Westmount day centre welcomes help in various ways. They have a load of turkeys to be cooked, carved and delivered back to the shelter, 4006 Dorchester Blvd., Dec. 21-25. Call Zach 438870-0313. Volunteers can also spend time helping clients. The centre accepts donations of food and winter clothing, in particular, new or used jackets for men and women, and of money in person or online at www.canadahelps.org/ en/dn/31024. Call 514-939-1970, or visit the centre’s Facebook page.
OPÉRATION NEZ ROUGE
Opération Nez Rouge says it never has too many volunteers. The service provides accompaniment for those who’ve had a bit too much holiday cheer. Volunteers are needed to pick up people from parties and drive them home, for the duration of the festive season. Contact 514-256-2510 or visit operationnezrougemontreal.com if you can help.
CENTRAIDE
Annick Gagnon of Centraide, an umbrella organization that supports a number of community groups, suggests volunteering at Santropol Roulant.
The organization’s Meals-onWheels service provides food and company to isolated seniors as well as people who have experienced a loss of autonomy. Services run straight through the holidays and people are always needed to help out in the kitchen and deliver meals. You can reach them at 514284-9335, or by email at info@ santropolroulant.org.
Gagnon also suggests contacting Patro Le Prevost. The community centre in Villeray is looking for help with its Christmas Eve dinner on Dec. 24. Volunteers are needed to set up the centre and serve cocktails and food. Gagnon advises calling ahead to make sure spots are open. You can contact Patro Le Prevost at 514-273-8535 or by email at info@patroleprevost.qc.ca.
MONTREAL VOLUNTEER BUREAU
You can also get in touch with the Montreal Volunteer Bureau for more suggestions at 514-842-3351 or visit them online at cabm.net.
The bureau’s website lists several places that are looking for help on Dec. 24 and 25, and on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. It suggests calling in advance, though, since opportunities listed sometimes fill up before they’re taken off the site.
The bureau is recruiting for a seniors’ residence in the Plateau Mont-Royal that is looking for volunteers to dress up as Santa or Mrs. Claus and lift the spirits of elderly residents on Christmas Day.
The Volunteer Bureau is also searching for people to help seniors on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day at two other centres. The work involves moving wheelchair-bound seniors to and from common rooms, serving food and helping spread some holiday spirit.
SUN YOUTH
Nicholas Carpentier of Sun Youth says volunteers work hard throughout the month of December to distribute toys and food baskets to those in need. But he says that, as is the case at many local charities, volunteers and staff take a much-needed break during the holidays.
There is no shortage of volunteers right now, Carpentier says, noting the 63-year-old organization has always found that Montrealers are extremely generous and really come through for them over the holidays.
A Statistics Canada survey ranked Quebec lowest of all the provinces in terms of the average number of hours citizens devoted to volunteering as well as for the average amount of charitable contributions they made.
Carpentier says he thinks those figures are misleading. “What we think is that a lot of people donate without bothering to ask for a tax receipt,” he said.
Volunteering doesn’t have to involve working with an organization — there are plenty of chances to help in our own communities, he said — for instance with neighbours who might be struggling.
Donations usually dry up in January, Carpentier said, so another way to help Sun Youth these days is a cash donation.