Stories that inspire
Centre africain de développement et d'entraide (CADE)
Created in 2001, the Centre africain de développement et d’entraide (African centre for development and mutual aid, or CADE) welcomes newcomers to Quebec, primarily those from Africa. It accompanies them through the process of integrating into Quebec and Canadian society. The Centre aims to guide and support these newcomers. It focuses on the seniors among them, but also young people and the population in general. CADE aims to establish closer ties between those already living in Quebec and those who have come here from elsewhere. Their overall objectiveis to combat racism and social inequality.
The pandemic exacerbated a number of problems stemming from food insecurity, especially among seniors. In response to this, CADE developed a project called Brisons l’isolement de nos ainés (Breaking down our seniors’ isolation), assisted by the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF). The project had two goals:
- Deliver food baskets on a monthly basis to bring relief to seniors whose financial situation had become very tenuous;
- Break down the isolation of these individuals, who had just spent nearly four months confined and alone.
The project proved beneficial for seniors in the Pointe-Saint-Charles area, and not just for those in the African community. All Quebecers the Centre serves benefited from it.
Post-pandemic, with the aid of a grant from the Foundation of Greater Montréal’s Collective Fund for Social Equity, CADE decided to continue providing home delivery of non-perishable items, but also to encourage seniors to once again come to the Centre to pick up their food baskets, thus allowing its intervenors to keep on bonding with them.
The Centre’s ultimate goal is to create a seniors’ circle in the neighbourhood, foster interaction, and further reduce their isolation.