Montreal, June 16, 2021 – Last year, Centraide of Greater Montreal invested the exceptional amount of $74.9 million in nearly 750 community agencies and projects to fight poverty. This is the result revealed in the 2020 Report to Our Community that Centraide presented at its Annual General Meeting held last night and the largest amount of financial aid that it has ever provided to support vulnerable people, who have been greatly affected by the consequences of the pandemic.
The allocated amount includes an additional $25.6 million in support to agencies through the four COVID-19 Emergency Funds. Despite immense challenges, these investments helped agencies and projects adapt and reinforce their services to meet increased needs and provide assistance to fight poverty, food insecurity, and isolation and to strengthen the social safety net.
“Centraide had a frontline view of the escalating fragility of vulnerable populations, the explosion in demand for food aid, the dire need for mental health support, and the impact of numerous disruptions on youth success, including remote learning. Since the beginning of the crisis, we have witnessed an outpouring of solidarity. Centraide encouraged synergy and maintained strong relationships between key actors including agencies, public health organizations, municipal representatives, government authorities, donors, businesses, and partners,” said Robert Dumas, Chair of the Board of Directors of Centraide of Greater Montreal and President and Chief Executive Officer of Sun Life Quebec.
Tackling growing inequality
While we hope to soon emerge from the pandemic, COVID-19 has increased social inequalities among people who were already struggling to meet their basic needs, such as for housing and food. These isolated people living in poverty saw their situations deteriorate.
Economic insecurity, income loss, stress, isolation, and violence have had many negative impacts on children, families, seniors and the marginalized. These effects are not yet fully known but risk being felt for a long time to come.
For over a year, community agencies have been working tirelessly every day to help these people. These agencies know the needs on the ground. Their inspiring resilience and action to leave no one behind deserve to be recognized.
As a strategic and proactive social investor, Centraide is a committed community partner more than ever. It works with agencies and the 38 neighbourhood roundtables in Greater Montreal and supports their collective actions according to the community’s priority needs. Centraide also mobilizes all key stakeholders to identify and understand emerging social issues and acts diligently to support vulnerable people.
Appointment of new members of the Board of Directors of Centraide and the Centraide Foundation
In addition to announcing its social investments, Centraide of Greater Montreal has appointed seven new volunteers to its Board of Directors.
The Centraide Board has 30 members from the community. These visionary and bold volunteers oversee its major orientations. They provide perspectives and help make decisions with accountability, integrity and transparency. They make sure that every dollar is soundly invested.
They reflect Greater Montreal’s diversity in terms of gender and visible minorities as well as different economic, business, academic, community and union sectors. They also represent its vast territory that covers Montreal, Laval and the South Shore. The varied knowledge and expertise of these invaluable partners allow Centraide to fulfill its mission.
The new Board members are Philippe Béland, Director – Human Resources – Innovation, Production, Health, Safety and Environment Group and Corporate Units, Hydro-Québec, Isabelle Gareau, Political Advisor, FTQ, Denis Giangi, President, Rolls-Royce Canada, Andrea Nicholls, Chief Financial Officer, Dentons Canada, Julie Shugarman, Strategic Consultant, Martin Thibodeau, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology and Information Officer, Dynamite Group, and Manon Tremblay, Senior Director, Indigenous Directions, Concordia University.
New appointments were also made to the Board of Directors of the Centraide of Greater Montreal Foundation. Marie Hélène Noiseux, a full professor in the Finance Department at the School of Management at Université du Québec à Montréal, has joined the Board as Treasurer and Chair of the Audit and Investment Committee. Nathalie Bernier, Corporate Director, will serve as Chair of the Foundation.
The outgoing volunteers from Centraide’s Board of Directors are Marc Gagnon, retired from the Cirque du Soleil, Jo Ann Raymond, retired from Energir and COPE 463, David Goodman, Chief Executive Officer, Pharmascience, David Murray, Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Vice President – Generation, Health, Safety and Environment, Hydro-Québec, and Marie-Josée Lamothe, President, Tandem International.
The outgoing volunteers of the Centraide Foundation are Claude Séguin, Corporate Director, and Annie Thabet, Partner, Celtis Capital.
“Centraide’s great movement of solidarity would be impossible without our volunteers. I thank our Board members for their generosity and commitment. I also want to acknowledge the exceptional dedication of our outgoing members. These volunteers ensured that our donations and assets were invested soundly and responsibly. They helped advance our organization and ensure its ongoing viability to provide an essential safety net for vulnerable people,” stated Bertrand Castonguay, Interim President and Executive Director and Vice President – Operations, Centraide of Greater Montreal.
A new President and Executive Director at the head of Centraide
In addition, on June 14, Centraide of Greater Montreal announced the appointment of
Claude Pinard as its President and Executive Director. Mr. Pinard will assume his new position on July 5, 2021. Click here to access the press release.
About Centraide of Greater Montreal
Centraide of Greater Montreal is active in the territories of Laval, Montreal and the South Shore. It regularly supports a network of 350 agencies and collective projects every year. Centraide has a presence in 18 regions in Quebec and is supported by private, public and parapublic corporations and institutions as well as large trade unions. The money it raises is invested locally to break the cycle of poverty and social exclusion. Click here for more information.
About the Centraide of Greater Montreal Foundation
The Centraide of Greater Montreal Foundation is a charitable entity affiliated with Centraide of Greater Montreal. It was created to collect assets received through bequests, life insurance policies, endowment funds and other forms of planned gifts. Its main goal is to build and grow significant ongoing capital to provide Centraide of Greater Montreal with sustainable income so that it can continue its mission for future generations.