West Island Community Shares celebrates 20 years of helping residents, groups in need

An umbrella organization dedicated to supporting community charities and non-profit agencies providing a vast array of servicesacross Montreal's West Island is celebrating its20thanniversary, hoping to breakits own fundraising record.

West Island Community Shares is holding acommunity breakfast fundraiserthis morning inPointe-Claireto kick off its annual campaign with the goal of raising $1.3 million.

The organization started in 1998 as a way to help local non-profit groups and residents in need in a part of Montreal island thatdespite being perceived as a collection of affluent suburbshas pockets of poverty.

• West Island Community Shares raises record-breaking $1.2M

ForAMCALFamily Services, an organization dedicated to helping families in crisis thathasbenefited from the fundraising efforts of West Island Community Shares since its first year, the financial support is essential.

"It's crucial for us,"saidSophieDalbec,executive director ofAMCALFamily Services. "And it can go to programs, services and our building maintenance."

West Island Community Shares now gives a helping hand to a total of 41 non-profit groupsthat provide a range of services, including food banks, youth and family services, volunteer organizationsand mental health services.

The organization benefits 60,000 people in West Island communities,36,000 of whomare children and teens.

"It's just such a good feeling to know that we have this recurrent funding year after year and something we can count on," saidDalbec.

Bringingcommunity together

What first started out as a way to provide support to those who need it most has blossomed over the years, with theorganizationbreaking its own fundraising record earlier this year.

In its first year, West Island Community Shares raised $102,000 for eight community groups. Last year, the organization raised $1.2 million,some of whichwas raisedduringCBC Montreal's annual Sing-In charity drive.

West Island Community Shares and CBC work together on an annual Christmas charity drive, which is called Light up our community.This will beCBC'ssecond year supporting the organization.

ForDalbec, the extra help from West Island Community Shares also gives community organizations such asAMCALthe chance to focus on providing frontline services to residents instead of focusing on raising money.

"It's just favoured stronger support and stronger relationships in the community," saidDalbec.

• Live-in program at AMCAL Family Services helps teens, parents reconnect