A legacy of giving

be part of Montreal's legacy of giving

When Sid Stevens passed away in August, Sun Youth lost a co-founder, but Montreal lost a man whose generosity and determination shaped not only the organization, but also the lives of thousands of Montrealers.

Since co-founding Sun Youth with Earl De La Perralle in 1954, Stevens was a shining pillar of the community, committed to helping Montreal youth and their families. Always on the front line at Sun Youth, he became a recognizable force in the city, providing support, guidance, and practical help for anyone who needed it.

Montreal is a very different city from the one that existed when Stevens and De La Perralle began Sun Youth in 1954, but one of the organization’s great strengths is its ability to evolve with the changing needs of the people it serves.

Talk to anyone who’s ever been helped by Sun Youth, and relief is a word they’ll commonly use. Ophélie Delon, who came to Montreal from France 10 years ago, struggled with low-paying jobs and was trying to start her own business when she fell into serious financial difficulty. Her anxiety led her to a community organization that referred her to Sun Youth.

“I told them that after paying for my medication and my STM card, I cannot pay my rent. I had nothing left in my chequing account except for $40.”

– Ophélie Delon

“I told them that after paying for my medication and my STM card, I cannot pay my rent. I had nothing left in my chequing account except for $40.”

– Ophélie Delon

Sun Youth paid one month’s rent directly to her landlord, which was enough to get her back on her feet.

“They helped me that day and even told me I could go to the food bank to get a bag of groceries, which helped me a lot,” recalls Delon. “I felt relief and gratitude for an organization that helped me bounce back.”

Today, Delon works as the coordinator of community initiatives for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation and volunteers with different community organizations, forever mindful of the time someone helped her when she needed it most.

While its food bank is one of Sun Youth’s most visible services, its original goal was to raise money to promote sports and recreation for children who might not otherwise have had the opportunity. That mission remains a core component of the organization’s DNA.

Over the years, countless children have benefited from those sports programs, which lay the groundwork for success in all facets of children’s lives. Gina Mathurin’s four children are among them.

When her children were small, Mathurin was living in Anjou, studying to become a nurse while her husband worked full-time. With four children and a limited budget, enrolling them all in sports seemed impossible.

Then Sun Youth stepped in, covering most of the costs and opening the door to new opportunities. Her children each joined a Sun Youth team, spending their afternoons playing sports, making friends, and learning important life lessons.

Today, her children are adults, and three remain closely connected to sports. One now gives back by coaching football, another played basketball for Laurentian University and a third received the Earl De La Perralle Scholarship this summer to play football at Concordia University.

“It was important for my children to have something to do after school in an environment that was safe. Sun Youth gave them that.”

– Gina Mathurin

The next big step in the organization’s future is a new building, set to become a permanent reminder of the legacy of Stevens and De La Perralle.

The new building at 7501 St. Laurent Boulevard is expected to partially open in January 2026, when the food bank will begin operating out of the new space. Other programs will follow in phases over the first half of the coming year.

The new space will enable Sun Youth to have a bigger impact as it will allow it to expand its programs and serve even more people. It will also be able to offer space to smaller community organizations that offer services complementing those of Sun Youth.

As Sun Youth prepares for this exciting new chapter, your support for its holiday food and toy drive is more important than ever. Every donation to the holiday campaign helps provide food, gifts, and comfort to families in need. Financial donations support Sun Youth’s mission and programming all year-round and will help make this new facility a vibrant and welcoming place for everyone. This continues the legacy of two young boys who began their mission in the back room of a shoe shop on St. Cuthbert Street more than 70 years ago.

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