On Tuesday, August 22, the Children's Foundation of Vaudreuil-Soulanges held its first day of distributing school supplies to children from vulnerable families in the region. This year, 304 children will benefit from new school supplies, thanks to the organization and its partners. 

During Néomédia's visit to the Opti-Centre Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Vaudreuil-Dorion, the distribution of school supplies was in full swing. Every five minutes, families lined up at the various tables set up around the room to obtain the items on offer. 

A record for the Children's Foundation 

"All the young people benefiting from today's and tomorrow's activity live in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region and attend the Centre de services scolaires des Trois-Lacs and the Lester-B. Pearson School Board. Pearson School Board. This is the first year we've helped more than 300 young people. This year, we got the word out to the municipalities, who passed it on to their citizens, and the message was heard. We recorded 72 new registrations this year. We're very proud," says Élaine Chagnon, President of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Children's Foundation.  

To benefit from this assistance, families must be referred by the CLSC and provide proof of income. 

On site, the youngsters received a new backpack, a new lunch box, a pair of shoes, a spring-fall coat and other items. In November, they will receive a pair of boots and a new winter coat. 

Added to these donations is a $60 gift certificate to Éditions Vaudreuil to complete back-to-school purchases, and another $60 to cover fees charged by the CSS des Trois-Lacs and the Lester B. Pearson School Board at the start of the year. Pearson School Board at the beginning of the year. 

"For the majority of these young people, it's the very first time they've had new school supplies.It's moving to see them receive the items and try on their shoes. They're happy," she notes. 

To carry out this project, the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Children's Foundation can count on the support of financial partners.These include Éditions Vaudreuil, Sports Experts , Moisson Sud-Ouest and MPs Marie-Claude Nichols and Marilyne Picard. 

"Every year, we organize a dinner to raise money for the purchase of school supplies. The distribution has been going on for 15 years now, and has grown over the years," she adds. 

Partners touched by the cause

Marie-Claude Nichols, independent Member of Parliament for Vaudreuil, has been contributing financially to this initiative for the past eight years.She also participates in the presentation of school supplies to the young students."It's an activity that means a lot to me.The start of the school year can be difficult for many families in the region because of the many expenses involved. We get a lot of calls at the office from families who need help as the new school year approaches.We refer them to organizations like the Fondation des enfants de Vaudreuil-Soulanges for support." 

For her part, Soulanges MNA Marilyne Picard is donating $2,000 to the project. As a mother herself, she is also very sensitive to the cause. 

At her table, Moisson Sud-Ouest gave the children school supplies such as glue, pencils, binders and duo-tangs donated by the public. The organization also offered a surprise to the youngsters after they had taken possession of their school supplies. 

Dominique Pilon of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO) explains that the health authority has been associated with the project since its very first year in 2007."It's a collaboration we take for granted.Projects like this enable us to make an initial approach to the clientele affected by this approach, and to offer them targeted services based on their needs, if the family so desires.It's a great gateway for us," he says. 

Marie-Chantal Vigneault-Hamel, a community organizer with CISSSMO, agrees. "It gives us an opportunity to put a positive spin on the daily lives of the families we work with, but also to forge different links with them.We see them in a different context. It feels good," she concludes. 

BV: Pictured left to right: Marie-Chantal Vigneault-Hamel and Dominique Pilon of CISSSMO, Marjolaine Lacroix of Moisson Sud-Ouest, Soulanges MNA Marilyne Picard, Vaudreuil-Soulanges Children's Foundation President Élaine Chagnon, Vaudreuil MNA Marie-Claude Nichols and Yvan Dumont of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Children's Foundation.