Montreal homeless centre at risk of closing, desperate for donations

St. Michael’s Mission, which works with Montreal’s most vulnerable communities, is at risk of closing.

Director general George Greene tells Global News he realized the non-profit was in trouble in March, at the end of the last fiscal year.

READ MORE: New database tracks homeless resettlement in Montreal

“If we don’t get financial support, we risk — we’re in the red — we’re very, very close to having to cut back services,” he said.

“We are in dire straits.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We are in dire straits."

The day mission, which was founded in 1927, works with disadvantaged and homeless communities in downtown Montreal.

“It’s a place I could call almost like home,” said Wayne Roch, a man who has going to St. Michael’s Mission for 48 years.

READ MORE: Street store to help the homeless pops up in Montreal

It offers food — Tuesday alone, the mission served 282 meals — as well as showers, clothing and more.

“I just like to come here because the faces are familiar,” said Wayne. “People are friendly. The staff is good. Food is good.”

St. Michael’s Mission also provides crisis intervention as well as assistance in welfare, unemployment, immigration and refugee issues.

WATCH BELOW: How big is Montreal’s homeless population?

2:21 How big is Montreal’s homeless population?

“We have payroll to pay, we pay a rather large rent to the church each month,” Greene told Global News, adding the organization needs about $200,000 more to keep it going.

“What we would have to do is have shorter hours and have our employees probably work only two days a week.”

READ MORE: Montreal women’s shelter desperate for underwear donations

The mission said it is doing everything it can to keep afloat, even asking for donations of food, clothing and feminine hygiene products for the women in its care.

If the mission doesn’t raise enough money to keep itself afloat, Greene said it will be forced to close by October.

“This is probably one of the most unique missions in Montreal, we know everyone by their name,” he told Global News.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This is probably one of the most unique missions in Montreal, we know everyone by their name," he told Global News.

“I know what their problems are and some of them a quite grave — fentanyl is part of the vocabulary right now.”

WATCH BELOW: Therapy dog helping homeless at Montreal shelter

2:15 Therapy dog helping homeless at Montreal shelter

rachel.lau@globalnews.ca
Follow @rachel_lau

—with files from Global’s Cora MacDonald