The urgent need to act to reduce inequalities

As we know, people living in poverty and vulnerability have been hit hard by the pandemic. But we must not forget that the organizations that come to their aid have also been affected. Shortage of manpower, exhaustion of volunteers, increased demands: the situation is untenable. It is therefore a real appeal for help from Centraide to companies and private donors to remedy the situation.

All over the world – and Quebec is no exception – the pandemic has widened the gap between the haves and the poor. And despite the easing of health measures, the repercussions of these social inequalities continue to be felt. “Centraide’s primary mission is to fight poverty and social exclusion by supporting organizations that do the work on the ground,” explains Claude Pinard, CEO of Centraide of Greater Montreal. So, yes, it is important to collect the necessary funds. But our role of support and accompaniment with these local organizations, which offer services adapted to the situation of each district of Montreal, Laval and the South Shore, is just as crucial. “

An underestimated problemThere are nearly 1.2 million people living in poverty in Quebec, more than half of whom live in the greater Montreal area. According to a Léger survey conducted last August, the pandemic made us aware of everyone’s vulnerability, but there is still a lot of work to be done to demonstrate that the fight against poverty and exclusion constitutes an important lever for socio-economic development.

In fact, more than 70% of survey respondents believe that the poverty situation in Quebec has deteriorated and that inequalities between the rich and the poor have worsened since 2020. However, only 46% of them wish take action to correct the situation. “We see that poverty is underestimated and often seen as the result of a choice of life. However, it stems from multiple factors that have nothing to do with any laziness, ”comments Claude Pinard. It should be noted that the crisis has greatly increased the isolation and financial insecurity among many people, in particular seniors, women, Aboriginals and people of color or belonging to a marginalized community.

Direct action, concrete results“We are working on the very causes of poverty,” adds Mr. Pinard. This includes issues related to the housing crisis, rising food prices, physical and mental health issues, job loss, as well as access to education, which is the best. way to break the cycle of poverty from an early age. Centraide therefore acts at the source by supporting organizations that help young people stay on top and others that break the isolation of single mothers, or by supporting the activities of a meals-on-wheels that provide good meals and a human contact with elderly people in isolation. A few examples among many which illustrate very real issues in terms of mutual aid.

Centraide, pillar of the community sector
To demystify poverty, Centraide has over the years become a voice for vulnerable people in Greater Montreal. The organization supports social mobility and the development of sustainable solutions so that everyone can contribute to their community, each in their own way. Less well known, Centraide, which is the focal point between the community, private and public sectors, is the largest non-governmental investor in the socio-community domain. This is why its action is decisive for community organizations that need support. In addition, Centraide plays a key unifying role by centralizing fundraising, which prevents duplication of fundraising activities, allows significant economies of scale and de facto eliminates competition to capture the attention of donors.

An environment in crisisEven if the bulk of the health crisis seems to be behind us, the repercussions persist in the community of mutual aid. An alarming consequence? The exhaustion of community workers, who had to cope with dire needs with small teams throughout the pandemic. In 2020, confinement requires, the majority of volunteers – often retirees, therefore older – stayed at home. Today, even though nearly 80% of them have returned, the labor shortage – workers and volunteers included – continues to affect the community sector. A problem exacerbated by growing needs, to such an extent that some organizations have seen their clientele double. And let’s not forget the mental health counseling and support services, which are also in high demand due to the issues of isolation, anxiety and job loss linked to the pandemic.

Beyond financial support“Our biggest challenge is to support community organizations so that they can go until next year without any interruption in services,” says Claude Pinard. Because, in addition to offering them financial support, Centraide offers them support, training and peer learning services to help them strengthen their expertise.

“Our seasoned team of around twenty social development advisers forms the link between the various community organizations as well as the neighborhood tables and their partners, which bring together actors from different backgrounds,” concludes the CEO. This is the great strength of Centraide: the sharing of experiences, the discussions on what works in a neighborhood, the vision of the issues, the overview of needs. “

Our mission: to make the most important social issues, such as poverty and social exclusion, visible, and to empower everyone to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable people while building inclusive communities.

This content was produced by Le Devoir’s special publications team in collaboration with the advertiser. Le Devoir’s editorial team played no role in the production of this content.