‘There’s such a need’: Montreal volunteers gather to distribute care packages to the homeless

Over 100 volunteers gathered on Saturday at Place Émilie-Gamelin to distribute warm clothes, food and care packages to Montreal’s homeless community.

“There’s such a need, people are screaming out they need our help — they need our love,” said organizer and volunteer Gigi Gougeon.

Hundreds of people in need lined up to fill their bellies with food and grab bags of donated sweaters and jackets.

“This brings a lot of warmness to the whole situation,” said Ghyslain Savard.

“We can talk all together and be a family”.

READ MORE: New drop-in centre for Montreal’s homeless opens near Cabot Square

According to the government’s most recent headcount, close to 6,000 people are visibly homeless on the streets of Quebec.

“For many people it’s not a choice,” said Savard. “They don’t have a place to live because they have no family, they have drug addiction problems and it’s very difficult.”

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Gigi Gougeon has been coming to Place Émilie-Gamelin with her church every third Saturday of the month for the past 25 years.

She said the greatest gifts are to see the fruits of their labour.

“I saw some people that have come here before and now they have jobs,” said Gougeon. “They stopped taking drugs and drinking alcohol.

“It’s all worth it.”

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The homeless community said they are thankful for the volunteers and their efforts.

“I love it and I appreciate it,” said Savard.  “I found a few stuff, my girlfriend too, we picked up some food and we asked to have a box for Christmas — it brings us a lot of joy, you know.”

Some even decided to join the groups of volunteers to lend a helping hand.

READ MORE: Old Royal Vic Hospital to open again as temporary homeless shelter

“There’s a humility in feeding people with your hands and I think it’s really important,” said volunteer Mosen Aziz.

“It’s really grounding for me. You’re actually making a genuine contribution to somebody else’s life.”

A group of coworkers unknowingly gathered at the park on the same day as the other groups.  They drove around the block distributing over 50 care packages filled with socks, gloves, food and toiletries.

“We’re a big country, we’re a rich country and for me it’s not acceptable to have people sleeping outside in the winter,” said organizer and volunteer Nancy Guernon.

According to Gougeon, the church groups plan to be back to distribute more goods at Place Émilie-Gamelin on Dec. 21.