Caroline Bellemare

Help us give dignity

The smallest act of kindness can have a huge impact. Caroline still remembers the help that Sun Youth provided her family during a difficult time of her childhood.

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Help us give dignity

The smallest act of kindness can have a huge impact.

DONATE

Even the smallest act of kindness can have a huge impact, says Caroline Bellemare. Decades later, she still remembers how ecstatic she was to receive a simple pair of yellow shoes from Sun Youth, a charity that provides a wide range of emergency and community services, during a difficult time of her childhood.

“It’s burned in my memory,” recalls Caroline, who was supported by the Montreal charity at seven years of age when her mother wasn’t able to work after a car accident.

“Those were very difficult times because my mom was living paycheque to paycheque. She was a single mom and the insurance didn’t immediately kick in, so there was a moment where we had nothing.”

– Caroline Bellemare

During that time, Caroline’s mother wasn’t able to provide for her and her sister the way she previously could, and new clothing was one luxury that was out of reach.

“We got to Sun Youth and lo and behold, there was this giant bag that contained a bunch of shoes of all colours. Somebody asked me if I wanted a pair and I got to pick. I chose a pair of little yellow shoes and they’ve stayed in my mind ever since. Receiving them really, really left an imprint on me.”

Today, Caroline Bellemare is a successful real estate broker and single mother who is raising a young girl of her own. Her experience at Sun Youth and the lasting memory of those little yellow shoes and the dignity her family was shown by staff and volunteers has remained with her and shaped the person she is today.

“Visiting Sun Youth was like visiting people that we knew and that cared for us and respected us. That must have stayed with me later on in life because I worked in humanitarian relief myself.”

– Caroline Bellemare

While she firmly believes it is important to help developing countries, she said it is just as important to give back to your own community. The people you help will one day get back on their feet and in turn be able to help others, thus completing a virtuous circle.

She is happy to share her good fortune with other Montrealers because she says we can’t live in a bubble and be unaffected by the suffering of those around us. She believes in supporting Sun Youth’s mission because she sees how the money she gives is put to good use.

“To be able to help in a place where I know that my donations and time and energy will be given back in a way that’s really going to help people is everything to me,” says Caroline.

She knows that a lot of people have gone through moments in their lives where it was more difficult to make ends meet and how hard that is, especially during the holiday season.

“Look at someone like me who came from a place of poverty and what I’m doing now and the way that I’m helping and serving. If no one helped me then, I wouldn’t be here today.”

– Caroline Bellemare

“I remember a few years back when I couldn’t afford a Christmas tree for my child,” she reflects. “A tree may seem silly, but emotionally that was extremely trying and very difficult. I felt so lonely trying to just do it all and felt I was carrying a heavy weight. A lot of people are going through this at the moment and I believe that helping out can do a world of good to those around us.”

She adds that the effects of inflation and the housing crisis in Montreal have made life even more difficult for many, meaning it’s more important than ever to help Sun Youth support Montrealers in need.

“It’s very important that if you’re able to give, to do what you can. You don’t have to give crazy amounts if that’s not what you have, but if we’re in a place where we can do a little bit more, then I think we should.”

Read Anna’s story