In a context marked by housing and mental health crises, as well as rising living costs, the situation of people in a situation of vulnerability is worsening. In response to this reality, Mission inclusion is granting more than $792,000 to 20 Quebec community organizations to combat poverty and social exclusion.
Richard Veenstra, Executive Director of Mission inclusion, comments:
“In this climate of multiple crises, our mission requires us to listen to Quebec community organizations. We, therefore, support their initiatives, which are making a difference in the daily lives of the people and communities who need it most.
With the addition of the initiatives announced in spring 2023, Mission inclusion currently supports 35 initiatives in 11 regions of Quebec.
Fighting exclusion throughout Quebec
51% of projects supported are deployed in Montreal and Quebec City, while 49% are deployed in other regions of Quebec, illustrating Mission inclusion’s regionalized approach adapted to local realities.
Anne Loranger-King, Director of Quebec Programs, comments: “We work closely with community organizations because they are the experts in their reality. These organizations actively create a positive and transformative social impact in their communities. Our role is to provide tailored support for their essential work by fostering constant dialogue and a proximity approach.”
Autonomy and social ties for older women
Mission inclusion is engaged in regions such as Bas-Saint-Laurent, responding to the specific challenges of these communities. These challenges include the rising cost of the grocery basket and social isolation, exacerbated by a crying lack of adapted public transport for people without cars, particularly women and older people.
Centre-Femmes la Mitis’s “Culinary workshops for senior women” aim to combat this isolation. The initiative seeks to empower senior women by giving them the skills and knowledge to cook nutritious, economical meals while breaking their isolation.
The first project supported by the JOC Fund
Mission inclusion’s new JOC Fund specifically targets young people in a situation of vulnerability, aged between 16 and 30. It aims to combat their marginalization, support the emergence of young leaders in disadvantaged communities, and strengthen organizations that campaign for the rights of youth.
The Montreal-based Collectif Ex-Placé DPJ is the first initiative to benefit from this fund. The Collectif offers three support programs for young people currently or formerly under the care of the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse (DPJ): Entrepairs, Repairs and Coopairs. These initiatives aim to ease young people’s transition to adulthood and improve the social policies that affect them.