A collaboration of seven local community organizations, including Bouffe Pontiac, Maison des Jeunes du Pontiac (MDJ) and the Jardin Educatif du Pontiac, the luncheon was an opportunity for locals to share a meal with family and friends while supporting Centraide Outaouais’ fundraising campaign.

Inside the hall, a small group of volunteers prepared plates of spaghetti, salads and mud cakes for the hungry attendees who filled almost every seat in the room.

Centraide Outaouais’ Director Nathalie Lepage opened the event with a word of welcome and a brief speech highlighting the importance of the fundraiser for local non-profit-organizations.

Bouffe Pontiac’s Director General Kim Laroche joined Lisa Danis of the MDJ to issue a brief speech of their own.

The event proceeded as planned with a community luncheon accompanied with live tunes courtesy of local artistic talent Benoit Chabot.

According to one of the event’s organizers Stephane Durocher, the event is about promoting the campaign and underlining the importance of supporting Centraide Outaouais in its effort of helping other community organizations in the region.

“Each organization receives a certain amount and with that money, we’re able to offer services to families.”

Besides raising money for a good cause, Lepage noted that the event is also important because it brings a number of organizations together in a place where they otherwise might feel small and isolated.

“You can see that the people are happy to see each other and they help each other out,” she said. “They can also learn about what kind of services certain organizations offer families and how to participate in their activities.”

Lepage explained that Centraide Outaouais is dedicating around $144,500 to be divided amongst the seven organizations involved. That’s why organizing events like this one, which typically raise around $1,000, are so important.

“When we put it all together, it makes it really interesting,” she said.

All the food was provided by members of the seven organizations who put together the event, Durocher said.

All the profits from the event will be used to subsidize a number of activities throughout the coming year, according to Lepage.

“It’s all going back together in the envelope,” she said. “We’re hoping that this will give us – because there are activities a little bit everywhere – more money so we can give it to organizations in the region.”

Volunteer in the kitchen Nadine Romain serves up a plate of salad during the event.

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