{"id":79882,"date":"2025-02-20T18:44:56","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T23:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/?p=79882"},"modified":"2025-02-26T09:09:15","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T14:09:15","slug":"denise-major-a-key-volunteer-at-maison-dentraide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/blog\/denise-major-a-key-volunteer-at-maison-dentraide\/","title":{"rendered":"Denise Major: A Key Volunteer at Maison d\u2019Entraide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Supported by Centraide for over 25 years, the <strong>Maison d\u2019Entraide Saint-Paul et \u00c9mard<\/strong> improves the living conditions of low-income residents in Ville-\u00c9mard and C\u00f4te-Saint-Paul by shoring up both their food security and self-sufficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The agency\u2019s many initiatives include a community restaurant, which provides healthy yet affordable meals to everyone, along with a work integration program with vocational training in restaurant services. A catering department also supports the agency\u2019s social mission. Other essential initiatives\u2014such as cooking workshops, handouts of fruit and vegetable baskets with Panier Fut\u00e9, or the Les Cigognes project, which provides free meals to vulnerable families with young children\u2014provide concrete help to those in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center is-style-little-title\">\u201cI used to help keep people safe, but now I help them get enough to eat\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"609\" height=\"85\" src=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Separateur_corpo_1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44527\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:386px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Separateur_corpo_1-1.png 609w, https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Separateur_corpo_1-1-300x42.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:21px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Volunteers are a pillar of the Maison d\u2019Entraide, whose commitment lets the agency offer such a wide range of services to its members. In fact, 75 volunteers devoted over 4,900 hours to its activities in 2023-2024. By herself, Denise Major puts in over 25 hours a week, which is an incredibly admirable commitment for this retired SPVM employee. \u201cI used to help keep people safe, but now I help them get enough to eat,\u201d she says proudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Denise has a hand in multiple activities at the agency, such as pantry management, administration, and the organization of sign-ups for cooking workshops and fruit and vegetable baskets. She takes calls for appointments at the community grocery store and handles emergency food requests. Denise has also helped with promotional events in the neighbourhood and, since January, has sat on the agency\u2019s board of directors.<a id=\"_msocom_1\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:69px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"792\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MaisonEntraide-Laureate-4410_792x416.jpg\" alt=\"Femme souriante\" class=\"wp-image-79875\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MaisonEntraide-Laureate-4410_792x416.jpg 792w, https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MaisonEntraide-Laureate-4410_792x416-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MaisonEntraide-Laureate-4410_792x416-768x403.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo credit: Val\u00e9rie Paquette<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:3%\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:97%\"><div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:16% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/evenements\/solidaires\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Solidaires_2025_Infolettre_300x300.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79775 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Solidaires_2025_Infolettre_300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Solidaires_2025_Infolettre_300x300-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong><strong>A significant commitment recognized by Centraide<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Denise Major\u2019s impact and leadership truly sets her volunteer commitment apart. In 2025, she received the <strong>Solidaires Citizen Engagement,<\/strong> which goes to someone whose actions makes a real difference at an agency supported by Centraide of Greater Montreal. This award also recognizes a commitment that has led to concrete, lasting progress on an important issue or that has encouraged significant public engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The jury was deeply moved by Denise Major and impressed by her incredible dedication and altruism. The jury also praised the high quality of the agency that benefits from her invaluable help and wished that all agencies could enjoy the same level of exceptional volunteer support that Denise provides.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center is-style-middle-title\"><strong>1 out of 5 people receives our help. <br>5 out of 5 people benefit from it.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"block-stylised-title theme-block aligndefault\" id=\"block_b979404769da4a56b42a1ff5d3841722\" style=\"text-align: center\">                            <span class=\"block-stylised-title__line block-stylised-title__line--big-thin\"><b><font size=\"6\">Let&#8217;s all lend a hand<\/font><\/b><\/span>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:18px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons alignfull is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-499968f5 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-grey-background-color has-background has-large-font-size has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/secure.centraide-mtl.org\/registrant\/DonationPage.aspx?EventID=389613&amp;LangPref=en-CA&amp;Referrer=blogue\" style=\"border-radius:0px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>DONATE<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Supporting a network of over 375 community agencies also means promoting an inclusive, poverty-free society.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supported by Centraide for over 25 years, the Maison d\u2019Entraide Saint-Paul et \u00c9mard improves the living conditions of low-income residents in Ville-\u00c9mard and C\u00f4te-Saint-Paul by shoring up both their food security and self-sufficiency. The agency\u2019s&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":79880,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"43215,66767,1077,71678,25998,26083","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[663],"tags":[749,664],"content-type":[493],"sector":[649],"class_list":["post-79882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-essential-needs","tag-volunteering","tag-food-security","content-type-articles-en","sector-ville-emard-cote-saint-paul"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-28 04:32:13","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79882"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79910,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79882\/revisions\/79910"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79882"},{"taxonomy":"content-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-type?post=79882"},{"taxonomy":"sector","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sector?post=79882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}