Montreal City Mission

MCM AND HAITIAN RELIEF

Over the past couple of years, Project Refuge has been the home to 250+ Haitian refugees.  The suffering and anxiety in the Montreal Haitian community right now is being experienced first hand by MCM staff.

Former PR resident Daniel on St James Square

We continue to respond on different fronts: information and solidarity meetings with ex Project Refuge residents, assistance with family reunification; collecting money on St. James Square, volunteer work at the Red Cross, a service of remembrance and hope with our host congregation St. James United in which United Church Moderator Mardi Tindal and members of the Haitian community participated and the creation of a Montreal Presbytery Haitian Relief Committee. This work will continue in the days, weeks and months ahead. Haiti Pap Piry!

Rev. Arlen Bonnar & UCC Moderator Mardi Tindal

EKC on TV

EKC at the Ville-Marie event

Our Holiday concert series ended with a great celebration at “La grande rencontre d’hiver”, an event hosted by the city of Montreal for families in the Ville Marie burrough.  The EKC joined in the fun with hundreds of other local children to get their face painted, play in the inflatable amusement park, drink hot chocolate and engage in all kinds of friendly games.  To finish it all, the EKC serenaded their new found friends with festive music. 

Andrea and Jen also had the joy of participating in the party at the Montreal City Mission booth.  What a fun way to share the good news of MCM’s mission with our neighbours. 

EKC with the crew of Mise-à-jour Montréal

In early January, as part of a special report on Montreal choirs, the Every Kid Choir was filmed by a video crew from VOX television.  The special  included clips of the children singing, as well as a few interviews from choir members and the choir director.  The show aired on Feb. 1^st at 6:30 pm.  For all those of you who missed it, don’t fret, you will be able to catch a viewing on the show’s website:
http://fr.video.canoe.tv/video/actualites/mise-a-jour-montreal/42863225001/.

MCM INTERFAITH HOLIDAY CELEBRATION

Two of the EKC singers

A shared meal, a lively celebration: the holiday spirit was alive and well at the 2010 edition of MCM’s Interfaith Holiday Party! 

The Cedar Park United Church team

Friends, supporters, staff and other members of our community came together to celebrate with a delicious meal, lively entertainment and hope for a safe and happy holiday season for all.  After a multi-lingual blessing on the meal, everyone enjoyed latkes, couscous, chai and shortbread to the sounds of toe-tapping Klezmer music.  Thank you to all who contributed – volunteers – party goers - to this memorable event!

MCM staffers Rick , Andrea & Jen

Danika, Marie-Eve's youngest girl

 PROJET REFUGE HOLIDAY PARTY

Christmas and the holiday season can be difficult when loved ones are far away. That’s why last December 18th, we once again called our extended Project Refuge family together to eat, dance and be merry. Support for those who are worried and kudos for those with good news – everyone experiences a sense of belonging. Hats off to Sylvain, Pascal, Julie, Moustapaha, Balema, Paula  and all who pitched in  to create an evening worth remembering.

MCM staffer Moustapha with a guest

MCM staffer Pascal (center) with two guests

Ex MCM staffer Ivan Petrov with Thierry, a boxing champion from Africa

Ronald & Diego, two PR ex-residents, with a guest

 A CHRISTMAS CAROL FOR MCM

Geordie Productions / A Christmas Carol

Photo by David Babcock

What a Christmas gift – $4,950 for MCM programs in 2010! Geordie Productions, a professional theatre for all audiences, helped raised this sum during the 2009 holiday season.  The funds were offered by generous patrons of Geordie’s A Christmas Carol following each performance of the 10-show run. 

A heart-felt thank-you goes out to the staff, actors and patrons of Geordie Productions for this wonderful demonstration of the holiday spirit in MCM’s honour. And a special thanks to MCM staffer Andrea Dawes who set this all up and ‘womaned’ the MCM kiosk for the entire run of the play.

For more information about Geordie’s upcoming performances, please visit www.geordie.ca.