Solidarity Article #4 

I am excited and nervous at the same time. On September 21, I will be participating in my very first marathon!

I have always loved walking, getting some fresh air, and being in nature. I climbed Mont Saint-Hilaire and its Sugarloaf Trail several times when I lived in Montreal. I loved going there and visiting the bakery nearby to buy a sandwich and apple cookies. What a joy to eat them on the big rock at the top of the course!

The marathon will be different because it is meaningful to me and to the Société de Saint-Vincent de Paul de Montréal. We will be running to give visibility to this wonderful organization, raise donations and thus be able to help families in need.

It goes without saying that to participate, it is not enough to be in shape; you must first be able to meet your basic needs. For me, each step on this 5 km course is based on the privilege of being able to eat properly with fresh and healthy foods. It is hard to imagine that in 2024, not everyone will have access to food security.

That is why I am writing to you today. To ask you to open your heart. To invite you to support the Société de Saint-Vincent de Paul de Montréal so that it can in turn meet the needs of individuals, families and children who are hungry. So that we can all function well in our daily activities.

I say THANK YOU for your generosity. Whatever the size of your donations, they are precious and contribute to a happy and healthy society!

Gabrielle Destroismaisons