Actions that do good | From volunteers to friends

In August, The Press presents you with portraits of people who, in their own way, do good around them. Today: the volunteers of the Montreal Metropolitan Blind Sports Association.

Like every Wednesday, a group of walkers gathers in front of the Mont-Royal metro station. This morning, there are about ten of them chatting happily while waiting to set off for the mountain. Some are holding a white cane in one hand, others are not.

These people are part of one of the five walking groups of the Montreal Metropolitan Association of Sports for the Blind (ASAMM). Accompanied by volunteers, these visually impaired people climb up to the Mount Royal lookout, then descend back to their starting point. The most enduring ones walk around the cross. Every Wednesday, they walk up to 15 kilometres.

Would they dare to do this long weekly walk if they were not guided by volunteers? “It’s reassuring to be accompanied, but also more enjoyable,” replies Jocelyne Durand, member of ASAMM.

All visually impaired people are paired with a volunteer and then they set off. To be guided, they place a hand on the arm of their companion and hold out a white cane in front of them.

The duos walk at their own pace, talking about everything and nothing. Some want to have their surroundings described to them, others don’t. “We adapt to each person,” says Raynald Lapierre, a volunteer for ASAMM since 2018.

It was laughter that prompted Anne-Marie Jan to join the group as a volunteer in 2017. “I walk a lot on Mount Royal. […] That day, I stopped at the Smith house for coffee and there was a bunch of funny guys. I could tell they were blind. They seemed to get along so well and were having so much fun. I asked if I could join them.

Over time, “they became friends,” she rejoices. A message that resonates with all the other members present that morning.

The group, which was created in 2014, has even travelled together a few times, including to the Magdalen Islands and Ireland. Without the volunteers, ASAMM members would not necessarily have the opportunity to travel, says Caroline Rochon, program coordinator for the organization.

By bike

Walking is far from the only activity offered by the association. Kayaking, fencing, skating, cross-country skiing, soccer, snowshoeing, spinning: the choices are numerous. “The activities vary from one season to the next because we will go with the interests of the members and volunteers,” explains Caroline Rochon.

The most popular activity, however, is tandem cycling. Different group outings are planned each week.

Benoit Monette, who can be found outside the Claude-Robillard centre where ASAMM has premises, mainly takes care of individual outings with people who are new to tandem or who are not physically fit enough to take part in long hikes.

It was while reading an article in The Press that he discovered the organization in 2020. The idea of ​​volunteering while practicing a sport and allowing other people to do the same appealed to him a lot.

“For many people, it’s their only activity during the week other than going to the grocery store and going to the doctor,” he says.

Breaking the isolation of the amateur cyclists he guides is very rewarding. “You meet people and you see that you are making a difference. […] “We changed lives. I know that,” says a moved Benoit Monette.

Fewer volunteers since the pandemic

Unfortunately, due to a lack of volunteers, “it happens too often that activities are cancelled,” he laments.

Jocelyne Richard, president of ASAMM, notes that it has been more difficult to recruit volunteers since the pandemic.

This is an observation that many other organizations have made, says Geneviève Fecteau, executive director of the Centre d’action bénévole de Montréal. Once very present among volunteers, seniors are becoming rarer. “It’s a major loss for society that these people are no longer coming back, because they are people who have a great life experience, time to give, a lot of knowledge that could benefit people who receive services from organizations.”

For all

Geneviève Fecteau points out that the volunteering offer is very varied, as demonstrated by the example of ASAMM. “There are so many ways to volunteer. You just have to want to give your time.”

In this sense, the Montreal Volunteer Action Centre has improved its search tool on its website so that those interested can easily find the type of volunteering that suits them, regardless of their age or physical condition.

Some members of ASAMM are also volunteers. Even though he defines himself as “legally blind,” Marc-André Germain is the treasurer of the association. “It’s not a task that you generally associate with someone who can’t see. With a voice synthesizer, it’s possible,” explains the man who also volunteers with a palliative care organization. “I simply want to give back,” he says, humbly.

Visit the ASAMM website

Visit the website of the Montreal Volunteer Action Center