About Santropol Roulant
Meals-on-Wheels and so much more!
The national section of the Globe and Mail featured a full-length article on Santropol Roulant one Christmas. "When two groups marginalized by society get together, the result is good for all" was not your typical holiday season ‘hearts and flowers’ story. It wasn’t about charity. It was about real people who are connected to one another through a community organization and who are making a difference in each other’s lives. The article highlighted the reciprocity in relationships that bridge generations and cultures. It showed the impact that young people have on society when they act on their beliefs and values, when they effect change and fundamentally alter the stereotypes we have about young and old.
So why was this a national story? Because Santropol Roulant is a vital thread in the fabric of society. We provide critical services to those in need and a space for diverse people to be deeply and meaningfully involved in their community. The media has been filled with stories on the future health of our communities. The Romanow report was one of many which stated unequivocally that home care is a crucial and chronically under-funded component of Canadian health-care. It was a year of long overdue insights into the sustainability of the Voluntary Sector, which is suffering from employee, volunteer and donor burn-out and a serious lack of secure funding for the core programs and missions of these organizations.
We believe strongly that a social service such as ours can be a catalyst for social change. This year we saw demand for our service remain constant at 80-90 meals per day, by far the highest of any other independent meals-on-wheels service on the Island of Montreal. We also see over 100 volunteers a week who are committed to making a difference in their community. Our goal is to respond to the basic needs of a vulnerable population and to do so with dignity. It is also to inspire and equip young people to identify and address the issues they see around them with imagination and passion – to get involved, to participate and together to work towards the changes we want to see.
It’s as much what we do as how we do it.
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