“Me, I won’t have Christmas with anyone this year. My Christmas is here, today. Anne-Marie wiggles with her friend Carrie on the dance floor. They dressed up to celebrate their “reunion” at the traditional Christmas dinner of the organization Chez Doris, which helps vulnerable and homeless women.
Anne-Marie and Carrie met at Chez Doris. It hasn’t been that long, and yet it feels a bit like it was in another life. Anne-Marie had just lost her home and was homeless. “I was a drug addict and I didn’t pay my rent because of drugs,” explains the young woman. Thanks to the help of Chez Doris, she stopped using drugs and found a place to live last September.
Carrie came from Vancouver a little over two years ago. Not speaking French, she needed a helping hand from Chez Doris, in particular to “break the isolation” and help her in her efforts. She has just found an apartment. “It’s small, but it’s my home,” she says in a voice half muffled by the loudspeakers spitting out an old Madonna hit.
From one table to another, the stories repeat themselves. Vulnerable women who have found themselves on the street at one time or another in their lives. Others who can’t make ends meet, who struggle and who are isolated by poverty. They are 250 today to party in a large hall of LaSalle College, a stone’s throw from the organization Chez Doris, which has a storefront near Cabot Square, in Montreal.
“The experiences of homeless women with regard to Christmas are diverse and varied,” explains Clara, who is a worker for the organization Chez Doris. Some have a deep hatred of Christmas because of events from the past. For others, it is an extremely joyful moment, a moment of sharing that allows you to put aside the difficulties of everyday life. For others, finally, it is a time that is extremely difficult, especially for people who are new to homelessness, because it is often the first Christmas they have spent without having their own home. »
A “semblance of normalcy”
The purpose of the Christmas dinner is to allow them to have a good time, to have a “real party Christmas”, to dance, to be spoiled, to get together and make friends. “It’s also an opportunity to offer a semblance of normalcy to those who do not have a life that society would describe as normal,” adds Clara.
A semblance of normalcy. This is precisely what Lydia is looking for, who has been living on the street for some time and who prefers that her real name be kept silent. She had, however, until very recently, a life that she describes as “normal”. Then an event happened, dragging her into a “spiral” that led her to homelessness. “My health, my prospects, I feel like everything has been stolen, and today I have to start my life from scratch. »
Although she lives on the streets, she has been avoiding shelters for some time, as she finds it “very difficult to see misery all the time”. She prefers parks and places frequented by families to better escape the sufferings of everyday life. ” The party Chez Doris is also the chance to forget, for a brief moment, all our worries, she says in a soft voice. Joy, music, it is unifying. »
Lydia dreams of finding affordable housing. In the meantime, she sleeps where she can, a few broken hours per night, constantly fearing for her safety. “I try to manage, but I’m not made for the street,” she sighs. Every day, it’s a victory to tell myself: I survived. »
Eat “on a real plate”
Mariachi bands make their way between the tables. Santa Claus, an elf and many women join them on the track to dance to the sound of La Cucaracha. Many of them take selfies and videos of the scene, precious memories.
Women love not having to queue to eat. Today, the meal is served to them directly at their table, nicely decorated for the occasion. Carrie notes how nice it is to eat “from a real plate”.
The neighborhood police do the service, sketching here and there a little dance step. “It’s a great opportunity to forge ties with people,” explains agent Samantha Chevrier, who responded to the invitation from Chez Doris with the community consultation and outreach team.
In particular, she wants to “remove this fear that some women may have towards the police”. And the message is getting through. “People welcome us,” she explains. There are a few women who came to ask me if we were there because we were afraid things would get messy. I explained to them the reason for our presence here. We want to show them that we are human above all, us too. »
The most beautiful of gifts
At the back of the room, just in front of Santa’s rocking chair and its many glittering red and gold gift bags, Eelatah and her daughter, Claudette, are sharing their Christmas meal. Eelatah, 45, left Iqaluit at the turn of the 2000s. She wanted a better life in Montreal. She met a man with whom she had two children. Then she started using. When the father of her children left her, she quickly found herself on the street. She also owes a debt of gratitude to the people at Chez Doris. “They always took care of me, they protected me in a merciless world,” she says gratefully.
For a few years, Eelatah has been sober. She has an apartment, a job. But it is the Chez Doris organization that manages its finances. “He gets my paycheck and makes sure I have the money to pay my rent. Because I don’t trust myself. I’m so scared to wake up one morning traveling again. »
At her side, Claudette, 18, looks at her lovingly. She is “proud” of the path taken by her mother. And that encourages him in his own steps. Since she left the father of her son, barely a few months old, she has been homeless and lives in a hotel, at the expense of an aid organization in her neighborhood.
All the Christmas dinner guests received gifts on Thursday. But it was undoubtedly Claudette who received the most beautiful of all gifts: “I was accepted on social assistance and I found an apartment. I’m moving on December 24! she says proudly. She plans to go back to school to finish high school. But first and foremost, she wants to create a pleasant environment for her son. “The first thing I’m going to do when I arrive is decorate! And I’m going to decorate my boy’s room first, to make sure he has everything he needs. »