Major Fundraising Campaign CHEZ DORIS, DAY AND NIGHT

Major Fundraising CampaignCHEZ DORIS, DAY AND NIGHT

Message from Campaign Co-ChairsAs Co-Chairs of the Chez Doris, Day and Night Major Fundraising Campaign, we are extremely proud to be working together to make a concrete and sustainable difference in the lives of the women of our community. Our mutual motivation is to help provide a better future for homeless and vulnerable women with tangible and needed changes. Each year, the hundreds of vulnerable women who come to Chez Doris fi nd a safe haven and are met with a spirit of inclusion and respect. Unfortunately, each year half of the women sleep on the streets, as there are simply not suffi cient overnight accommodations nor permanent housing solutions.

The Chez Doris, Day and Night campaign will build upon the successful current day programs and intervention initiatives and increase Chez Doris’ capacity to offer a 24-hour continuum of services for all women who present themselves at the shelter’s doorsteps. The experienced team at Chez Doris’ day shelter will be able to identify homeless women and provide them with a bed, thus removing them from the dangers of the streets at night.

Today, we are determined to provide more resources for at-risk women 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but we cannot do this alone.

Together, we can help homeless and vulnerable women step safely out of the shadows, day and night.

Elizabeth WirthChairman M.F. Wirth Rail Corp

François CarrierManaging Director Head of InvestmentBanking Desjardins Capital Markets

2 M A J O R F U N D R A I S I N G C A M PA I G N — C H E Z D O R I S , D AY A N D N I G H T

CHEZ DORIS – A DAY SHELTER SERVING VULNERABLE WOMEN SINCE 1977Founded in 1977, Chez Doris is a day shelter for all women in difficulty, located at 1430 Chomedey Street, two blocks east of Atwater, and around the corner from Cabot Square. Chez Doris offers comprehensive services and programs to meet the most basic and immediate needs of women facing homelessness, poverty, mental illness and/or addictions.

We are the only day shelter for women in Montreal open seven days a week. Services include: breakfast, lunch and supper, access to showers, hygiene products, a clothing room, emergency food bags, respite beds, a telephone information referral service, a financial management program, an Inuit assistance program, housing search assistance, as well as health and mental health services, tax and legal services, and socio-recreational and educational programs.

Our vision is to create a support network for all vulnerable and homeless women, and to offer essential services and programs, to provide access to housing and to offer workshops and special activities to help our clientele break their isolation and offer them relief from their everyday problems.

Chez Doris is named in honour of a woman by the name of Doris Halfkenny Seale (also known as Doris Toussaint) who fled an abusive relationship and homelife in Halifax. Destitute, she struggled to survive on the streets of Montreal and ultimately fell victim to a brutal murder in 1974 that today remains unsolved. While Doris lived on the fringes of society, in death her name has come to symbolize the expression of compassion and assistance for vulnerable women.

M A J O R F U N D R A I S I N G C A M PA I G N — C H E Z D O R I S , D AY A N D N I G H T 3

CHEZ DORIS’ DAY SHELTER Pre-pandemic, Chez Doris’ drop-in program welcomed up to 110 women per day, which represents close to 32,000 visits per year from over 1,500 different women; over 42,000 meals are served annually. The average age of the women served is 55. Our clientele is comprised of 26% French Canadian, 16% English Canadian, 21% Indigenous, and 37% from a variety of ethnic backgrounds (including many of whom are recent arrivals). Women come to Chez Doris for a variety of reasons, including obstacles to immigration, financial difficulties, for example following a divorce or loss of employment, discrimination, isolation and loneliness, as well as mental health and/or addiction issues. Many are homeless, while others are on the brink of homelessness. Their dire living conditions are inextricably linked to poverty, trauma and/or violence.

Among our regular clientele, 85% suffer from mental health issues, including chronic conditions (such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia) and addictions, between 20-30% are homeless, and another 50% have experienced homelessness in the past. All live in poverty, some are unable to manage their daily living expenses, and many live in substandard and unsafe housing.

Our experienced caseworkers provide active and attentive listening, allowing them to understand each client’s needs and develop a tailored support plan; this approach enables them to successfully provide our clientele with personalized intervention plans, adapted to the particular challenges and circumstances each woman faces.

We work with each and every one of our clients to find solutions in order to improve their quality of life and are there to accompany them though their difficulties.

From top to bottom:Our dining hall.Inuit collective kitchen.Volunteer, Stella Adjokê, singing to women.


18-34 years 18.42%

35-59 years 56.60%

60 + years 24.98%

French Canadian 25.5%

English Canadian 16.3%

Inuit 15.3%

Arab 7.8%

Asian 5.3%

Indigenous 5.2%

European 4.9%

Latin-American 3.1%

Other visible minorities 16.5%

AGE – TOTAL VISITS ORIGIN OF EACH CLIENT

32,022 Total visits

1,823 Different women served

575 First-time visitors

42,729 Meals served

1,175 Food bags provided

6,236 Number of times clothing room accessed

1,843 Access to showers

705 Home visits and accompaniments

649 Income tax declarations completed

87 Haircuts provided

NUMBERS AT A GLANCE – 2019-2020

Benoît Tousignant from the School of Optometry of Université de Montréal providing an eye examination for a client.

Caseworker, Brittany Hall, searching for clothing for a homeless client.


According to the second Montreal census on homelessness, conducted on April 24, 2018, it was estimated at the time that there were 3,149 visibly homeless people on the island of Montreal and that close to 25% of them were women. Depending on the time of year, anywhere from 798 to 1,022 emergency beds are available for Montreal’s homeless population, of which only 10-14% are reserved for women, despite them making up close to a quarter of the homeless population.

Consequently, every day at Chez Doris we serve a troubling number of homeless women with nowhere to go. Thanks to the programs and services offered at our day shelter, we have been able to build a level of trust with these vulnerable women who consider Chez Doris as an anchor of support.

Unfortunately, when our doors close in the evening, a great number of them have nowhere to sleep at night. Those who sleep in alleys, bus shelters, or nearby parks are among the most vulnerable, and are exposed to the extreme temperatures of our climate.

This situation has worsened in recent months. The pandemic has revealed the extent to which female homelessness is often hidden. According to the City of Montreal, the homeless population in Montreal has doubled during the pandemic. Given our proximity to Cabot Square, a gathering place for many homeless Indigenous people, Chez Doris has observed first-hand a noticeable increase in homeless Indigenous women who are victims of violence, sexual assaults, drug overdoses, and untimely deaths.

ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF A GROWING POPULATION OF HOMELESS WOMEN


In addition to providing emergency relief measures, providing access to permanent affordable housing, along with needed support, in a community-based setting, is essential to help women transition out of homelessness and develop and maintain their autonomy.

Drawing on our experience with this particularly vulnerable clientele and encouraged by the impact of our efforts in the face of ever-growing needs, Chez Doris wants to be able to do more for women who should not be forced to sleep outside. We believe that everyone has the right to live in safety and with dignity, and get the help they need to rebuild their lives.

To increase our capacity and offer a 24-hour continuum of services, and address the need for both emergency beds and permanent housing, Chez Doris is expanding, and will open two new points of service:

1. A new emergency overnight shelter for women with 22 beds.

2. A new permanent residence offering 26 affordable rental units.

Together, these two new points of service will allow Chez Doris to help address the persistent social phenomenon of homelessness from more than one angle, and with concrete solutions.

24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR

“Ten years ago, I registered for social housing. I’m still waiting.”– Madeleine


1. Night Shelter

ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR22 emergency overnight beds at 1437 Chomedey Street with a dinner service

The overnight shelter will have 22 beds, along with bathrooms, shower and laundry facilities, a dining room, a kitchenette, a sobering room, lounge, and a counselling room. The three-storey townhouse, built in 1870, is located directly across the street from our day shelter. In order to bring the building to code, add an extension, and install an elevator (for our clientele with reduced mobility), it requires major renovation and construction work. This new shelter will not only provide emergency night beds and a supper service but will also provide critical psychosocial services.

A Secure and Welcoming Place, Safe from the Streets

Homeless women who spend their days and nights living on the streets are clearly vulnerable. Having neither a roof over their heads nor a door they can safely lock behind them, they are at great risk of becoming victims of violence, sexual assaults, and untimely deaths.

Homeless women will be referred by our day shelter as well as other shelters, detention centres, and the police. The combination of services offered through our existing day shelter and our new night shelter will transform Chez Doris into a 24 hour a day operation; the opening of the night shelter is slated for late 2021.

Architectural plans for the emergency shelter.

Façade of the emergency shelter.


2. Permanent Residence

PERMANENT HOUSING, 365 DAYS A YEAR26 affordable studio apartments at 2233 de Champlain Street

In order to effectively address the problem of homelessness, and with a particular focus on offering permanent solutions for homeless women, Chez Doris has partnered with the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal(SHDM) and will be launching a residential project in early 2022. Chez Doris will select the tenants and will manage the building, and will provide psychosocial support services for the tenants. The tenants will be eligible for rent subsidies from the Of� ce municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM), allowing for their rent to be fi xed at 25% of their income.

A Lasting Solution

Chez Doris recognizes the need for roots and belonging, the need to have a place to call home, as well as the need for community support. Overcoming homelessness also requires sustained efforts to protect existing low-income housing and to increase the supply. Homeless women cannot begin to rebuild their lives without a secure and stable roof over their heads, and without accompanying support. Without access to affordable housing, the reality is that vulnerable women simply don’t have the possibility of establishing a permanent home, however modest.

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Architectural drawing: Street view of 2233 de Champlain Street where our new permanent residence will be located.

Architectural plan of a studio apartment.


MAJOR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN: FINANCIAL NEEDS

Night Shelter – Emergency shelter with 22 bedsAcquisition, renovation, and construction costs for the night shelter $4.5M

Operational costs for the night shelter for the fi rst fi ve yearsIncludes psychosocial services and supper service $6.2M

Permanent Residence – 26 affordable rental unitsDevelopment costs for the new permanent residence $0.5M

Operational costs for the residence for the fi rst fi ve yearsIncludes psychosocial services, supplies and security $1.3M

Total Financial Needs for the Major Fundraising Campaign $12.5M

MAJOR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN: FINANCING BREAKDOWN

Government grants received or pledged to date $3.5M

Donations received for acquisition/pre-construction costs for night shelter $1.5M

Major Fundraising Campaign – funds required $7.5M

Total Financing $12.5M

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MAJOR FUNDRAISING

CAMPAIGN

$7.5M1 0 M A J O R F U N D R A I S I N G C A M PA I G N — C H E Z D O R I S , D AY A N D N I G H T

BUDGET

“I fi rst came to Chez Doris in 1978 at the age of 23. Since then, over the years, I have experienced periods of homelessness off and on, but luckily,I have always been able to count on Chez Doris and the services they offer. These days, I spend most nights in a bus shelter. All I need is a studio, but there is little to be found with my meagre resources.” – Valerie

M A J O R F U N D R A I S I N G C A M PA I G N — C H E Z D O R I S , D AY A N D N I G H T 1 1

For many women, Chez Doris is their only home. We strive to restore and uphold their dignity and fulfi ll their basic needs in a safe and accepting environment.

Today, we are determined to expand our reach, as current Montreal resources are not suffi cient to meet the basic needs of vulnerable women.

Together, we can achieve our vision of helping homeless women step out of the shadows.

1430, Chomedey, Montreal (Quebec) H3H 2A7 / 514 937-2341 x 225

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Documents

Major Fundraising Campaign CHEZ DORIS, DAY AND NIGHT