The Centre d’action bénévole L’Actuel in Vaudreuil-Dorion recorded 18,106 volunteer hours and provided 24,442 services thanks to the support of its 18 employees and 216 volunteers, according to its annual report.

Inflationary pressures within the community and on the organization, a shortage of human resources, funding concerns and an interim general manager are some of the challenges L'Actuel successfully met over the past year.  
 
"Preparing the annual report reminded us of these difficulties but it also made us realize how much we've accomplished and the big difference we made in our community thanks to our volunteers, employees and directors," said General Manager Marie Legrand.

L'Actuel helped 1,386 citizens in vulnerable situations in 2022-23, 65 per cent of whom were single people. While volunteer hours increased 41 percent compared to the previous year, there was a shortage of volunteers.

Medical transportation, article sorting and thrift shop activities were among the areas that suffered. Recruitment and retaining volunteers was also a major challenge. The permanent staff and Board of Directors will continue efforts to improve the situation.

L'Actuel provided the following statistics regarding services provided in 2022-2023:
 
802 requests for food assistance
180 requests for clothing assistance
101 requests for infant care assistance
3,932 meals prepared in cooking workshops
224 friendly visits to seniors
960 requests for medical transporation
19,161 security calls
1,494 tax returns prepared.

40 years of community service

L'Actuel is celebrating its 40th anniversary and has regularly been in the news. There have been 977 reports about the organization and the services they provide. The organization also strongly promotes volunteerism and has guided 96 volunteers who wanted to get involved in the region.
 
L'Actuel ended the year on a very positive financial footing. While funding is a constant concern, the board's sound financial management and team efforts helped L'Actuel increase its financing sources. Net revenues from its thrift store accounted for 19 percent of total income.
 
"This is very encouraging after the past two difficult years because of the pandemic. We'd like to thank the 29,773 thrift store customers and the citizens who donate to L'Actuel," said Legrand.

"Last year we processed 209 tons of merchandise. The donations we receive and purchases that are made help us to fund and provide our services to the community," Legrand added.