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Jean Doré
Chair of the Auberges du cur Foundation and official spokesperson
At a time when thousands of dollars are invested in the health of our rapidly aging population, we seem to be neglecting another segment of society whose well-being is even more important to the development of our community, namely homeless or distressed young people. The incredibly precarious conditions in which these young people live requires immediate and sustained action on the part of Quebec society as a whole. What kind of future – both in social and economic terms – are we heading toward given the fact that we have the highest rate of suicide among 18-to-24-year olds and the lowest birth rate in the Western world?
For four years now I have lent my support to the Auberges du cœur of Québec and the work it does, work that to a great extent unfortunately still goes unnoticed. This network of 30 shelters across 11 regions of the province provides refuge to 3,500 distressed or homeless youth yearly. Every night, more than 300 young people find sleep in this safe haven; a third of them are under 18 years of age.
By offering extended stays to young people - aged between 12 and 30 – shelters are not only able to address their social and emotional difficulties but also the overall living conditions that led them to the street, compromising their ability to integrate society. The shelters, some of which have existed for 25 years, attempt to become a place of belonging for youth who greatly lack stability and roots. This in turn helps them give their lives new meaning, as individuals and as citizens. In short, youth learn to reintegrate society by going back to school, returning to their families, or obtaining vocational training. These represent useful ways to make up for family abandonment and social exclusion and to solve problems such as lack of education, drug abuse, and violence.
The cost of funding a network of shelters such as les Auberges du cœur are much lower than those involved in helping these young people through various state-run youth organizations and the overburdened healthcare system. According to federal statistics, providing services to a young person in crisis can cost up to half a million dollars by the time he or she reaches adulthood. Even then, there is no guarantee that the young person will be apt to make a positive contribution to society. Given these challenges, we have to wonder which institution is better equipped to deal with this issue. Is it a network of overburdened, often dehumanizing state institutions or community-based youth shelters that can become a solid compass point for young people and help them rejoin the ranks of society as active members?
The expertise acquired by the Auberges du cœur, their presence across every city and region of the province, their novel approach, and their ability to act independently convinced me that they are an indispensable player when it comes to helping the distressed youth who deserve to have the emotional and social support they need to live full and meaningful lives.
I hope that this cause, which is so dear to my heart, will gather the support it needs to give young people at risk the opportunity to find hope, to dream, and to take part in building a better tomorrow as independent citizens. I therefore invite you to get to know this very important cause.
Quebec can’t afford to lose a single young person!
Jean Doré, a well-known personality in both the business and political community, has chaired the Foundation’s Board for the last four years. His commitment to the cause of homeless youth is directly in line with the social convictions that have motivated him many times in the past to take part in militant action. His creed: education rights, consumer protection and human rights and freedoms.
During the seventies, he was one of the main players behind the first consumer protection bill as Communications Director for the ACEF Federation. He was also an active militant in the Ligue des droits de l’Homme, which became the Ligue des droits et libertés.
A journalist, a political attaché to René Lévesque and a social activist, Jean Doré went on to become a lawyer in 1977. In 1983, he headed the Opposition at Montreal City Hall. He was then elected Mayor of the city from 1986 to 1994. During his terms in office, he created the first-ever policy of cooperation and support between a government body and youth shelters in Montreal. Because of this policy, the significant contribution made by the shelters to the community was finally appropriately recognized.
He espouses the cause of homeless kids and those in crisis because he firmly believes that to build a better society, Quebec must rely on its young people - all of them. The rapid aging of the population, the decrease in our birth rate, and the high rate of suicide among our youth are challenges that he simply cannot ignore. So much so that in 2005, he accepted to step into the public area once more, this time as spokesperson for homeless and distressed youth.
As an impassioned and committed volunteer, he acts on behalf of homeless and distressed kids while also fulfilling his duties as Major Accounts Manager, Business Development for the Caisse centrale Desjardins.