The Open Door is a drop-in centre providing services to homeless and low-income people in downtown Montreal. The centre provides food and clothing, laundry services, shelter during the day, counselling, referrals to professional mental health and drug addiction counsellors, and employment assistance. The Open Door also helps its clients obtain medical assistance, free prescription eyeglasses, haircuts, and assistance in coping with gambling, alcohol or substance abuse.

The Open Door has become a beacon of light and hope to many of its visitors. One-third of the homeless people who regularly attend The Open Door move off the street into a room, an apartment or a mission. Many clients develop a strong sense of community and belonging; they support and encourage each other, and often volunteer to help clean up "their" drop-in centre. Through their interaction with staff and volunteers, clients begin to feel that somebody really cares for them, and they find the dignity, friendship and hope they need to begin rebuilding their lives.

How a 12-year-old brought tons of bread to The Open Door

Almost every day, clients of The Open Door enjoy a few slices of top quality bread; many of them take a loaf of specialty bread, some muffins or a pastry with them when they leave.

Where does the bread come from and how does it end up at The Open Door? Let's go back in time about five years, to Les 5 Saisons gourmet food store and a mother, daughter in tow, getting groceries for the evening meal. The 12 year old noticed an employee throwing out unsold loaves of bread and brought it to her mother's attention, alarmed at how wasteful it seemed. At her daughter's insistance, the mother spoke to the manager of Les 5 Saisons, asking if the bread could be donated to a local soup kitchen. Having obtained the manager's consent, the mother-and-daughter team then dropped in on The Open Door. They handed the store manager's business card to the director of The Open Door, and encouraged him to contact Les 5 Saisons.

Ever since, the director or a volunteer of The Open Door regularly makes the short trip to Les 5 Saisons, coming back with a trunkful of delicous baked goods for the clients of the drop-in centre. Hats off to the initiative of a Westmount family and to the generosity and solidarity of Les 5 Saisons. The Open Door and its clients extend a heartfelt word of thanks for the tons of bread donated to The Open Door in the past few years!