Anyone who attended our Annual General Meeting last May will have heard the news that our funding for the past 5 years from the Ministry of Public Safety has come to an end.At the same time our historical financial support from Aumonerie Communitaire de Montreal (ACM) has
also been cut as the Correctional Services of Canada (CSC) decided to stop funding Community
Chaplaincy.
As these were our only recurrent sources of funding, it has left us in the position of depending on
donations from our membership and the general public.
The Communitas Board of Directors is of course actively seeking other possible means of stable financial
support, however we would like to encourage any and all support from our members at this time of
uncertainty.
In addition to our annual funding drive in December, we receive sporadic donations from individuals
who come across our work and decide to support it, or who hear about us from friends and/or family
and like what we are doing.
I would like to propose that anyone who wishes to increase their financial support to Communitas do so
by becoming a monthly supporter via our Canada Helps account.
https://communitasmontreal.org/donate/
It could be signing up to donate as little as $5 per month. The fact that it is monthly would allow us to
know in advance how much we can count on. Already we have five (5) donors who have independently
decided to contribute in this way, and it is a big help.
In case you are wondering what practical things your funding would support, we have restarted our
Open Door and Table Talk programs in–person, and so are again spending to purchase food and drinks
after a hiatus due to Covid lock downs. We also have our recurrent costs for rent and
telecommunications – although both of these have been considerably reduced with our move last year
to new offices in the Undercroft of Christ Church Cathedral.
Last but by no means least are the cost of our 2 part–time staff members without whom we would not
be able to accomplish as much.
Our deep gratitude to all the many persons who are already giving generously of their time and their
money to support our work, and be assured that we have already made it through 22 years and will
make it through this hardship as well with your help.
Michele,
President, Communitas
20 years of Open Door with the publication of a book entitled Open Door: From the Inside Out, which contains more than 100 interviews with a variety of people who have attended Open Door over the 20 years, as well as other articles and photographs that illustrate this unique activity.
After a two-year absence, Open Door was back to in-person meetings at Fulford Hall. Fifteen members gathered on March 22nd while another fifteen dropped by virtually on Zoom to hear McGill University Pathy Fellow Joel Grant discuss his work of collaborating with the Indigenous Health Professions Program at McGill to create indigenous storytelling science activities. Grant, a Metis from Alberta, had just completed his Masters of Chemical Engineering at McGill. He has a passion for creating AI art that draws on his heritage as an influence.
