Volunteer donate – Project Genesis

Learning, and being inspired to make a change

PG — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 21:30:00 +0000

Sandra, Outreach volunteer

“When you hear what other people have gone through, you can relate – it can help you, it can inspire you, it can motivate you.”

“I started volunteering at Project Genesis after receiving help concerning a problem with my landlord. I decided to volunteer with the Outreach program.

After becoming a volunteer, I started attending activities and workshops at Project Genesis, including one on welfare. At the discussion, two workers were explaining everything there is to know about how welfare works, how to apply, and some of the challenges faced by people who need to receive it. They talked about changes in the law, the Emploi-Québec program, and how these changes would affect people receiving welfare. A lot of people present shared their personal experience and troubles, what they’ve been through at the hands of the agents there and the program in general. It was a great learning experience. I don’t always follow the news, so for me to hear about the upcoming changes helped a lot to figure out what is going on and what is about to happen.

At the time of this event, I, myself was a recipient of welfare. I was in the process of looking for a job but I couldn’t find anything ,so it really shook me to my core to hear some of the horror stories because I felt like if ever my check was to get cut off, it would be impossible for me to take care of my family. As a single mother of 5 children, I felt like it was time for me to think of a plan B, and to act quickly. Since I wasn’t having luck in the job search department, i decided to take another route so I’m currently back in school, studying to become a medical secretary.

The highlight of the discussion was the many diverse testimonies of the participants. When you hear what other people have gone through, you can relate – it can help you, it can inspire you, it can motivate you. And for my part, it definitely gave me a big push and hopefully I will never need to go back to welfare. There’s a feeling of insecurity when you’re on it that I don’t need to feel anymore.”

Sandra, Outreach volunteer

How one good turn can lead to many others

PG — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 21:09:00 +0000

Judith, volunteer Storefront advisor

How far does the long arm of an original idea reach?
Who knows where it will stop?

DONATION: HOW ONE GOOD TURN CAN LEAD TO MANY OTHERS

“As a long-term Storefront volunteer at Project Genesis, I’m well aware of how the organization does so much with so little, to help so many people. So when my financial advisor, Ken Thorpe, pointed out that I had some securities investments that had done very well and that I might consider making a significant donation, I immediately thought of Project Genesis.

Fast forward to discussions with Michael Chervin, Project Genesis Executive Director, about how such a donation might be used and the resulting decision… half into creating a long-term fund, specific to Project Genesis, to which others could contribute over the years, and half to help meet immediate needs,the most pressing of which was to improve accessibility of the building.

But that was just the beginning, and things snowballed from there.

At around the same time, long-time Project Genesis supporter Vera Abramson died and her nephew David Abramson, along with her niece Lee-Anne Torrens, came forward with a desire to make a significant donation in Vera’s honour.

The end result… the two donations were combined to fund a newly-created formal goal of Project Genesis’ long-term sustainability within the organization’s Reserve Fund, with investments in socially responsible vehicles, which it is hoped will encourage further donation in the future.

Meanwhile on the short-term front…

As I continued to keep Ken posted on what was happening with my donation, he mentioned that an accountant colleague, Martin Cundall, was on the Board at Atwater Library and had been closely involved with renovations to that building. He suggested I put Michael in touch with Martin, which led to a meeting with Pierre Besner of Les Développements Abitec Ltée, the firm that had done the Atwater Library renovations. What happened next was almost too good to be true. Although Abitec normally undertook only much more major projects, Pierre put together a team of volunteer contractors and suppliers who offered to do the work required at no cost. He said this was his way of giving back to the community.

And it didn’t stop there…

One item on the wish list, but well outside the budget, was an automatic door for the Storefront to facilitate wheelchair access while minimizing heat loss. Thanks to Pierre’s speaking with one of his own clients, a donation from Ergo Exergy Technologies Inc. was forthcoming in fairly short order to cover the cost of such a door.

So here we are today… already, the slope leading down to the Storefront is graced with a sturdy handrail to help those with limited mobility. The automatic door is installed and in daily use. And my original short-term donation, not yet touched, can be used for other items to help meet immediate needs.

How far does the long arm of an original idea reach?

Who knows where it will stop?

In one development… Ken and some colleagues host a series of fundraising concerts to benefit favourite charities.

As a result of connections established during the process described above, one of the charities chosen was Project Genesis. The concert to benefit Project Genesis was held in February 2015, where people enjoyed traditional Irish music and learned about the work of Project Genesis. Project Genesis received the net financial benefits of the concert, as well as donations from individuals who were inspired to give more.

Let’s hope the snowball continues to roll!”

Judith, volunteer Storefront advisor

Interested in more?

Donate to Project Genesis’ Anti-Poverty Work in Memory of John Kinloch

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Donate to Project Genesis

Storefront

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Encouragement and support through a long process

PG — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 03:15:00 +0000

Estrelita, Storefront service user

“Some places try to discourage you when you ask for support, but at Project Genesis, you don’t feel judged; you feel welcomed. You can voice what is in your heart, and they listen, which is so nice.

At Project Genesis, they encourage you.”

ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT THROUGH A LONG PROCESS

Sixty-two-year-old Estrelita came to Project Genesis because her health no longer permitted her to continue working as a caregiver. We informed her that as a widow, she was eligible for the Allowance for the Survivor. Although this was good news, it was only the beginning of a very long struggle for her to obtain this benefit. Obtaining and submitting the many documents required by Service Canada over the following months took her more than 20 visits to our offices. On one occasion, Estrelita felt utterly discouraged by the ongoing bureaucratic hurdles, despairing that she would ever obtain what she was entitled to. However, in June 2014, a beaming Estrelita came into the Storefront bearing thank-you cards for the advisors who had helped her. She finally received a full retroactive payment, and regular payments had begun.

In Estrelita’s words:

“I came to Project Genesis for help because of my friend. I was telling her that because of my health problems, it was getting harder for me to work. My friend told me that she had also had serious health problems which meant she would have to stop working and have surgery. She had gone to Project Genesis to see if there was anything she could do. Project Genesis had helped her apply for government benefits, so that she would have money to live on while she recovered from surgery and wouldn’t have to worry about not being able to work. She told me I should go to Project Genesis to see if they could help me too.

Sometimes, as an immigrant to this country, you feel insecure about asking for help. How will people treat you and what will they think? We try our best to work hard, so when something happens and you need help, it’s not easy. Some places try to discourage you when you ask for support, but at Project Genesis, you don’t feel judged; you feel welcomed. You can voice what is in your heart, and they listen, which is so nice. At Project Genesis, they encourage you.

Project Genesis helped me apply for my pension. They did so much for me – they did everything! The application process took such a long time. It was very stressful. The government kept on asking me to fill more and more questionnaires about my situation and my history. I didn’t have anything to hide – I would answer their questions but they kept sending me more things to fill out. I wasn’t sure when it would end and what the result would be. Sometimes my mood was so low, I just felt like giving up. Even my daughter saw how stressful it was for me, and wondered if it was worth it for me to continue the process. Three times I almost decided to give up, but Project Genesis encouraged me to keep going. When you’re down and somebody is there to help you and give you moral support, that’s a very good feeling that money cannot buy.

The whole process ended up taking about nine months, but in the end, I received my pension! I will never forget Project Genesis’ encouragement and their help!”

Estrelita, Storefront service user

Interested in more?

Donate to Project Genesis’ Anti-Poverty Work in Memory of John Kinloch

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Donate to Project Genesis

Storefront

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Members of Project Genesis stand together

PG — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 17:24:00 +0000

Nola, Housing Rights volunteer

“Project Genesis never backs down. We go to Ottawa, to Quebec City – we go everywhere for social housing, and we stand together and make sure that people’s rights are not trampled upon. We all want the same thing: we want social housing for everyone.

“Project Genesis never backs down. We go to Ottawa, to Quebec City – we go everywhere for social housing, and we stand together and make sure that people’s rights are not trampled upon. We all want the same thing: we want social housing for everyone.

I don’t give Genesis a hundred percent – I give Genesis a hundred and ten! Anyone can come here and we won’t turn you away. I am proud to be a member of Project Genesis.”

Nola, Housing Rights volunteer

Interested in more?

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Housing Rights

Opening new avenues of hope

PG — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 22:48:34 +0000

Brigitte, volunteer Storefront advisor

“It felt good to provide information concerning financial assistance and housing options, empowering her to make effective change in her life.”

“One thing I feel good about this year was assisting a single woman in her 50s with severe mobility issues who was in financial difficulty.

She was distraught when she came in, concerned about the fact that she had great problems going up the three flights of stairs to her apartment and discouraged that her disability prevented her from searching for a new place. To make matters worse, she was scared that her welfare income would not be sufficient to pay for a dwelling more appropriate for her needs.

I looked at her current sources of income and discovered that she could be entitled to Shelter Allowance as well as additional benefits due to her disability. With the new income, it could be possible for her to find a new apartment better suited to her current situation.

She left the office feeling reassured and hopeful. It felt good to provide information concerning financial assistance and housing options, empowering her to make effective change in her life.”

Brigitte, volunteer Storefront advisor

Interested in more?

Donate to Project Genesis’ Anti-Poverty Work in Memory of John Kinloch

Get Involved

Donate to Project Genesis

Storefront

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Breaking the silence surrounding poverty

PG — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 21:06:11 +0000

Chris, Project Genesis community organizer

“These important actions…were undertaken to meet an enormous challenge: breaking the silence surrounding poverty in our community and putting this issue front and centre.”

“As I think back, a big thing that sticks out for me is how members of the Anti-Poverty Committee forcefully brought their demands straight to the attention of those in positions of power as well as into the public spotlight.

Our members met with our MNA’s office, participated in and asked questions during several local candidates’ debates during the election and wrote an opinion piece on what Quebec’s budget should look like, which was published in a local paper.

All of these important actions, a few amongst the many which we accomplished, were undertaken to meet an enormous challenge: breaking the silence surrounding poverty in our community and putting this issue front and centre.”

Chris, Project Genesis community organizer

Interested in more?

Donate to Project Genesis’ Anti-Poverty Work in Memory of John Kinloch

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Donate to Project Genesis

Anti-Poverty

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Increasing confidence for a Home Advocacy Services user

PG — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 15:55:15 +0000

Dua, Individual Services volunteer

“Since he lost his vision some years ago, Mr. T finds it difficult to manage his paperwork,
so he asked our Home Advocacy Services for help with his income tax preparation.”

INCREASING CONFIDENCE FOR A HOME ADVOCACY SERVICES USER

“Since he lost his vision some years ago, Mr. T finds it difficult to manage his paperwork, so he asked our Home Advocacy Services for help with his income tax preparation.

Because his 64^th birthday was approaching, we realized that we should start getting his federal pension application under way as well. This presented some challenges for gathering documents, but we were able to help him and complete it in plenty of time.

Mr. T was so proud he had been able to do this task without help from his family, and he was excited to surprise them with the news. It was great to have this opportunity to bring confidence to Mr. T.”

Dua, Individual Services volunteer

Interested in more?

Donate to Project Genesis’ Anti-Poverty Work in Memory of John Kinloch

Get Involved

Donate to Project Genesis

Home Advocacy Services (HAS)

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Helping people fight for their rights

PG — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 22:07:37 +0000

Tariq, Outreach volunteer

“Why we do this is to help people fight for their rights – so that people can change their lives.”

HELPING PEOPLE FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS

Tariq was reading the Montreal Gazette one morning when he happened upon a short write-up about the work of Project Genesis. Originally from Pakistan, he’s now been a member of the Outreach team since June 2011. In addition to weekly door knocking, he has also volunteered in the Individual Services Storefront to help act as an interpreter between Storefront users and advisors when there have been language barriers.

On his involvement with Outreach, he says, “We go out every Thursday, making a little bit of an improvement in our society. We help people from different backgrounds and countries. Why we do this is to help people fight for their rights – so that people can change their lives.”

Tariq, Outreach volunteer

Interested in more?

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Storefront

Participating in positive change

PG — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 20:38:28 +0000

Albertha, Anti-Poverty and Housing Rights committees volunteer

“I believe that as we continue to persevere, by actions and letters of concern to the government about poverty and homelessness, there will be positive changes in the near future.”

Albertha came into the Storefront for help with her pension. Deeply frustrated by her situation, the dedication of the team she met there gave her the encouragement she needed to carry on.

After this positive experience, she decided to join the Anti-Poverty and Housing Rights committees.

Albertha is very pleased to be a part of these committees and says that, “I believe that as we continue to persevere, by actions and letters of concern to the government about poverty and homelessness, there will be positive changes in the near future. We need to pursue until change comes. The government cannot continue to pretend that it is not aware of the undesirable situation facing its citizens, so let us be seen and heard!”

Albertha, Anti-Poverty and Housing Rights committees volunteer