For over forty years, Service d’aide communautaire Anjou (SAC Anjou) has laid down deep roots in the life of its neighbourhood. Born from a community movement in the 1980s, the agency continues to serve as an essential resource for hundreds of families, immigrants, and seniors, who visit the agency every week to find a warm welcome, concrete support, and a place to gain new strength.
The Anjou neighbourhood is changing, as it is now home to newcomers, families living on a low income, and isolated individuals. For many people, one of the most pressing challenges is access to enough healthy and affordable food. To address this reality, SAC Anjou has made food self-sufficiency the focus of its work.
Each week, the agency provides:
- Two community lunches, where people can genuinely connect over a hot meal.
- A food bank that supports 200 families week after week.
- Increased support during periods of high demand: in 2025, it handed out 6,500 food baskets to over 400 families in the neighbourhood.
The team does more than just give out food, as it also takes time for education and support to empower people to take control over their diets and their budgets. Because eating is not just about nourishment: it is about living with dignity.
Empowering activities that bring people together
SAC Anjou’s main mission is to provide a range of services that offer practical solutions to the real-life needs of the people it supports. In addition to providing essential food assistance, the agency runs programs that promote independence, social inclusion, and citizen involvement. These include emergency assistance and individual support, social activities, tax preparation assistance, coffee klatches, community kitchens, educational workshops, and family support.
To stay aligned with its mission of promoting mutual aid, reducing inequalities, and improving living conditions, SAC Anjou creates accessible and welcoming spaces that help everyone find resources, regain confidence, and develop a sense of belonging to their community.
For example, knitting workshops let women from diverse backgrounds share skills and stories with a warm, human touch that does everyone some good.
Newcomers to the country may use these workshops to build a network. Others use it as a space to help them overcome isolation. Together, the knitters create handcrafted items that are sold to benefit the community. Although this activity may seem modest at first glance, it is actually a space of inclusion, trust, and empowerment.
We sat down with Nathalie Lajoie, Executive Director, and Jacqueline Cardin, a very involved volunteer, at the agency’s new offices. In this short video, they explain what this community agency does and why it is so important to the people of Anjou.
Watch the video
SAC Anjou volunteer honoured for her commitment
Jacqueline Cardin received the Solidaires Citizen Involvement, which recognizes the exceptional contribution of volunteers whose leadership and engagement make a concrete and lasting impact on their communities.
As a co-founder of SAC Anjou and other local agencies, Jacqueline Cardin has held key positions, particularly in senior management, while remaining close to people and their realities. Still active, she currently leads the knitting club for seniors.
The jury praised the constancy and depth of her commitment, which has shaped the community landscape of Anjou and inspired multiple generations of volunteers.
1 out of 5 people receives our help.
5 out of 5 people benefit from it.
Let’s all lend a hand
Supporting a network of over 375 community agencies also means promoting an inclusive, poverty-free society.