AT THE HEART OF THE AUBERGE
A SINGLE ALLIANCE, A SINGLE GOAL.
MISSION
Away from violence for over 30 years
Auberge Madeleine’s mission is to welcome, house and support women of 18 and over living alone in a situation of homelessness.
A shelter that offers stays ranging from a few weeks to a few months in response to immediate needs.
Feminist driven interventions that place women at the heart of their action strategies, allowing them to resolve difficult situations.
each year , nearly 250 women sheltered and more than 250 women accompanied thanks to our post-residency service.
Over 9000 stays since our opening.
All services are free.
Auberge Madeleine is a public testimony on the lives of women in a situation of homelessness.
CONSOLIDATING SUPPORTIVE CONNECTIONS
TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ORGANIZATION
TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ORGANIZATION
Volunteers
The volunteers at Auberge Madeleine bring precious and necessary help to our organization and its residents. Different types of expertise are also brought in to contribute, on either a regular or occasional basis.
Nearly 50 volunteers give their time to the Auberge every year. Speaking for all of us here at the Auberge, thank you!
Workers
Auberge Madeleine’s team is comprised of 16 full time workers and a dozen part time workers who provide the housing services as well as the external services.
Auberge Madeleine is a place of training. Every year, interns are welcomed and are offered over 200 hours of supervised work.
PARTNERS
Auberge Madeleine collaborates with several organizations that are committed to the fight against poverty and social exclusion by pushing for more women’s civic participation..
IMPORTANT DATES
Auberge Madeleine is founded in response to the growing number of homeless women in Montreal and to the lack of shelter resources geared towards them.
| 1984 | Acquisition and opening of a home on St-Hubert Street, 14 places. |
| 1989 | Construction and opening of a home on Wolfe Street, 19 places. |
| 1991 | Study: Les maisons d’hébergement pour femmes sans-abri : plus qu’un toit (Shelters for homeless women: more than just a roof). Racine, Guylaine. |
| 1998 | Study: Voir autrement les femmes sans abri : mieux connaître leurs stratégies de débrouillardise pour mieux intervenir (Seeing homeless women differently: how to better understand their resourcefulness in order to intervene better). Racine, G., Mercier, C. and Sévigny, O.
Design and conception of the game « Strata-débrouille » by counselors; first a research tool, it became an intervention tool in 2000. |
| 2002 | Consolidation of the post-residency community support program. |
| 2005 | Intensive support program in the field. |
| 2007-2010 | Radio program on CIBL.FM, then later on CHOQ.FM: Pensées dehors suivi de ParCELLES: conceived, hosted and produced by residents and ex-residents. The Pensées Dehors project received the UQAM society-justice award of recognition. |
| 2008 | Setup of the support service for those living in private residences or social housing. |
| 2009 | Laureat of the prize for “Innovation in workplace health and safety” from the CSST for work done in the prevention of psychological risks, in the SME category for the Montreal region. |
| 2011-2014 | Purchase and renovation of a building for the establishment of a shelter better adapted to the needs of the residents. |
| 2012-2014 | « Risquer le rêve à plusieurs » (Risking the dream together), community art project, lead by artist Claude Majeau. 60 women participated in the project. Exhibition in May-June of 2014 at the Musée du Fier Monde. |
| 2012-2014 | Study: Un lieu à soi : une voie pour contrer la vulnérabilité des femmes sans abri (A place for oneself: a path against the vulnerability of homeless women). UQAM’s Service aux collectivités, supervised by Roy, S. and written by Desjardins, G.; results published in 2015. |
| 2014 | 30th anniversary. Opening of a new house comprising of 26 private rooms, allowing us a greater housing capacity. |
| 2016 | Charlotte Cardin new spokesperson. |
Publications
To continually improve upon our accomplishments, we have explored different avenues leading to partnerships within the university milieu. For better understanding, we are recording the situation of women in difficulty and the strategies leading to change.
Board of directors
The Board consists of 8 individuals elected at the Annual General Assembly. Most members are women who have either used our services or are part of the community towards which the shelter is geared. One of the members is elected from the staff. All members of the Board act on a volunteer basis.