Members of Montreal’s business community are sleeping on the streets of downtown Montreal to better understand the realities of homeless youth.
So far, they have raised $230,000 for non-profit Dans La Rue.
“We have a lot of intervention workers and we need to provide all these services to more than 1,000 youth per year,” said Cécile Arbaeud, executive director of Dans La Rue. “We are also trying to understand more about youth homelessness, be involved in research, in expertise, in prevention also.”
The money was raised through multiple fundraisers in the lead up to the event, from food truck sales to collecting donations at participating companies including Sunlife Quebec, Stingray and CN.
“I’ll be sleeping outdoors tonight because youth homelessness is an issue that touches my heart,” Bernd Beyer, vice-president and treasurer for CN, said in a statement. “I want to support the community in building a better future for young people in Montreal. It is vital to reach out to youth at risk and provide them with the tools they need to have access to opportunities in life.”
The event is called “a night in the streets.”
The 60 participating corporate executives and professionals will also have a chance to speak to counselors working for Dans La Rue to brainstorm solutions for getting out of homelessness.
This year marks the third time Dans La Rue holds this event.