Montreal, June 14, 2023 – Centraide of Greater Montreal invested $61.8 million in 2022-2023 to support over 350 community agencies and projects at work in the neighbourhoods of Montreal, Laval and the South Shore. This is the result revealed in the Report to Our Community released last night at Centraide’s annual general meeting. This amount mainly came from donations from Major Donors, companies, institutions, workplace employees, unions, and the general public. Because of their generosity, Centraide can invest even more in the community and is contributing 25% more in funding than it did two years ago.*
With these investments, Centraide can help agencies in their work to support people living in poverty and social exclusion. It can also keep developing strategic collaborations to better meet community needs and act on the causes of disadvantage.
“We’ve had to tackle many challenges in recent months: the housing crisis, greater food insecurity than before the pandemic, an unprecedented surge in asylum seekers, young people reeling from the health crisis, families hit by the worst inflation in 40 years, and a community sector under great strain. Thanks to our regular investments, to our emergency funds for food security and for asylum seekers, as well as to the Youth Success Project, the Collective Impact Project and DATAide, Centraide has been able to meet these challenges head on,” said Claude Pinard, President and Executive Director, Centraide of Greater Montreal.
More support for agencies and people in need
Over the past year, Centraide has further cemented its support for the community sector by:
- Investing $1.5 million in 21 newly supported agencies and projects.
- Strengthening its support for food security agencies to address the rising cost of living. An emergency investment of $1.7 million was made, for a total of $7 million.
- Dedicating more funding to support groups most at risk of social exclusion, such as refugees and migrants, Indigenous people, and members of LGBTQIA2S+ communities.
The many faces of poverty
Poverty and social exclusion have many faces. Despite a good economic climate and full employment, some people still find themselves in difficult situations. Centraide will continue to refine its understanding of needs and target its investments to deal with concerning social issues such as:
- Basic needs and inflation: The housing crisis and the resulting food insecurity are intensifying requests for help. An estimated 360,000—or nearly one in five—households in Greater Montreal start the month with a negative balance in their budgets after paying their rent. One in four people in Montreal is food insecure, which is a higher rate than anywhere else in Quebec.
- Support for people in situations of social exclusion or vulnerability: The hardships experienced by some communities put them at an even higher risk of marginalization and poverty: refugees and migrants with precarious status, some members of LGBTQIA2S+ communities, people living with disabilities, as well as Indigenous people. They are more vulnerable when it comes to their mental and physical health, employment, housing, and social connections.
- Mental health and young people’s social and academic success: The difficulties faced by young people from disadvantaged backgrounds have been exacerbated by the health crisis. Action is needed not only to help them succeed academically but also to boost their self-esteem, motivation and socialization.
(*excluding the COVID emergency funds)
About Centraide of Greater Montreal
A true agent of change, Centraide of Greater Montreal takes action in the territories of Laval, Montreal and the South Shore. It regularly supports a network of over 350 agencies and collective projects every year. Centraide is supported by businesses and organizations as well as the general public. It implements strategies and actions to break the cycle of poverty and social exclusion to improve the living conditions of vulnerable people. Last year, Centraide invested $61.8 million in the community, which represents over 86% of the money raised from its annual campaign. Over 800,000 people are helped each year by the agencies supported by Centraide of Greater Montreal.