Over 3,218 donors answered the call by hanging a coat on the Walls of Montreal and Gatineau!
Renaissance, in partnership with Accueil Bonneau and Itinérance Zéro, revealed this morning at Accueil Bonneau the impressive number of coats collected between November 13 and 26 on the Kindness Walls: 2,519 coats were collected for Accueil Bonneau on the four Walls in Montreal, and 699 coats for Itinérance Zéro on the Wall in Gatineau!
Moreover, the public responded greatly to the Renaissance gift card aspect, where the number of gift cards exploded: $16,680 in Montreal and $230 in Renaissance gift cards in Gatineau.
“This year, we doubled the number of Walls and installed one in Gatineau. We are deeply touched that the general public and the media answered the call, allowing us to collect so many coats and Renaissance gift cards for those in need. It was a beautiful teamwork between Renaissance, Accueil Bonneau, and Itinérance Zéro!” stated Éric St-Arnaud, General Manager of Renaissance.
“We are very happy with the donations collected. As more and more people experience homelessness and distress, this simple, supportive, and ecological initiative makes perfect sense,” said Fiona Crossling, General Manager of Accueil Bonneau.
“The Itinérance Zéro family is very proud to have participated in this Renaissance initiative and is very grateful for the generosity of citizens. A beautiful collaboration of the heart between three non-profit organizations that emphasizes the importance of solidarity,” said Benoit Leblanc, General Manager of Itinérance Zéro.
Twice a day, Murat and Gilles, the “couriers of kindness,” picked up the coats from the four Walls of Montreal to deliver them to Accueil Bonneau. In Montreal, the walls were located at the corners of Sainte-Catherine and Bourbonnière, Iberville and Masson, Bellechasse and Christophe-Colomb, Clark and Saint-Viateur. In Gatineau, the Wall was in front of the former fire station at 230 Boulevard Saint-René Est.
“People will forget what you said, they will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou