The Refugee Centre is a non-profit organization that was established in 2015 and has been dedicated to facilitating the settlement and integration of newcomers into the broader Montreal community ever since. Our organization is grounded in a holistic and sustainable approach to support, offering a variety of services encompassing economic, educational, wellness, legal, and social integration. We aim to re-establish the way nonprofits work and strengthen the communities they are involved with.

A fundamental component of The Refugee Centre’s mandate is to adaptively respond to the evolving needs of our community. Recently, we have noticed a dangerous gap in newcomers’ access to basic needs. To respond to this pressing issue, we have introduced the Pay it Forward Fund. The Pay it Forward Fund is a community-driven initiative with a meaningful impact. This fund provides us with the flexibility to meet urgent basic needs, such as food, hygiene products, prescriptions, rent money, school supplies, and so much more. By addressing the immediate needs of individuals and families, we support them to overcome challenging circumstances and move towards a more stable and sustainable future.

The Pay It Forward Fund is used exclusively to address the urgent needs of the newcomer community here in Montreal. During the asylum seeking process, there are a number of gaps in access to rights and services that make everyday life difficult for newcomers. Upon arrival to Canada, due to different bureaucratic and financial obstacles, refugees often cannot access or afford their basic needs. As a result, these individuals are often forced to turn to food banks, they struggle to meet rent payments as well as afford public transit and medication if needed, among other things. This all potentially leads to malnutrition, evictions, illnesses and other situations that only increase their vulnerability in the long run.

100% of every single donation to the Pay It Forward Fund goes directly to meeting the essential needs of newcomers in Montreal. We are deeply committed to supporting refugees, and your contribution is channeled exclusively towards providing them with basic necessities. We carefully allocate these funds to procure culturally sensitive food supplies, critical hygiene items, weather-appropriate attire as well as help individuals afford their medication and rent when needed.