The Centre
A Word from the Executive Director
An eventful year has ended, and the challenges we face
in the coming year are just as significant.
The recent and persistent rumours of cutbacks
unfortunately have proved to be true for organizations funded by Emploi-Québec,
regardless of whether or not they were meeting their goals. The cuts came at a
time when our services were more in demand than ever before. Thanks to the
support of our Foundation, we were able to minimize the impact of these cutbacks
but even so, we were forced to review the services we provide to reflect our
reduced capacity.
The situation is particularly difficult in the case of our
Mother-Child program, the funding for which terminated on October 31
2010 and
has no chance of being renewed because the original fund provider has changed
its eligibility criteria. Thanks once again to the precious support of our
Foundation, we are able to maintain our activities (with some adjustments) for
the coming year, but must absolutely find other partners if the program is to
continue in the medium and longer term.
Fortunately, however, the last year was not all doom and
gloom – far from it! In addition to dealing with more than 45,000 requests for
help and taking part in a variety of group and representation activities, our
team was able to demonstrate its maturity, creativity, empathy and
professionalism by providing good quality services
and many activities in a warm environment that
was respectful of the tempo and choices of the women who came to us for help
In today’s unstable climate, where the social issues faced by the Centre’s users are considerable, it is comforting to hear spontaneous expressions of gratitude from our participants, who tell us just how much their own lives, and those of their families, have changed as a result of our support. It is also reassuring to note the extent to which the business community is receptive towards our requests.
I would also like to thank
Like the captain of any ship, I could never bring our mission safely home to port without a dedicated and committed staff devoted to improving the lives of women and their families.
And of course, I am extremely grateful to our members, the
members of our Boards of Directors, our volunteers, our community and business
partners, our fund providers and our faithful donors.
Last but not least, I would like to say “well done” to our
participants, and thank them for showing us the importance of the work we do.
Your courage and determination are the driving force behind our work, and a true
source of inspiration to maintain the passion that has allowed us to navigate
some stormy waters and make it safely home to port in the past year!
Johanne Bélisle, s.w.
Executive Director
Women’s Centre of Montreal
