Local non-profit Carrefour jeunesse-emploi du Pontiac hosted its annual general meeting on the morning of Thursday, June 26, for which it was joined by many of its community partners and program participants from the past year.
The organization works to support Pontiac residents between the ages of 15 and 65 years old in becoming socially integrated in the community by finding work, going back to school, building a business, or connecting with the local community in other ways.
After a brief update on the organization’s finances, which were reported to be in good health, Karim El Kerch, director of the Carrefour, moved on to sharing updates on the work the organization’s various programs have accomplished over the past year.
Among the many numbers he shared, he reported that 186 people accessed the organization’s universal intake services over the course of the year, which is up from 155 the year prior.
These services, which El Kerch described as the main entry into the organization, include free access to its resource centre, computer lab, and personalized support in finding training opportunities, employment, or launching personal projects.
The non-profit’s youth support program, La Défriche, saw 1,256 local youth partake in personal and social autonomy workshops for stress management, positive communication, and independent living skills.
Over the course of the year, 466 employment assistance sessions were delivered, over 40 per cent of them to people who had not completed a high school diploma. This total is down from 488 the year prior.
Carrefour’s Sortir du Bois program, which hires people between the ages of 18 and 45 to work in the forestry industry with the goal of equipping them with employable skills, saw 23 participants complete its 22-week program, and 60 per cent hold onto a job after completing the program.
“Each number represents a personal journey, a human story, and often a hard-earned success,” El Kerch wrote in an email to THE EQUITY.
New this year is a program that aims to foster an “inclusive and welcoming” culture in the Pontiac. This project, developed with the MRC Pontiac and funded by Quebec government, aims to address what El Kerch says is a critical need: facilitating newcomer settlement in our region.
He said its objective is to raise awareness among local employers, institutions, schools, and organizations about immigration issues, break down cultural barriers, and provide human-centered support to individuals choosing to build their lives in the Pontiac.
Finally, after presenting updates on these and other initiatives to those in attendance, and hearing from several program participants who offered testimony of the positive impact Carrefour’s services have had on their life, the board held its election for its 2025-2027 term.
Board members Todd Hoffman and Annie Vaillancourt stepped down, and were replaced by Gilles Vallières and Benoit Deschênes. Other board members are Richard Marenger, Daine Grenier, Lisa Lagarde, Karim El Kerch, and Maryse Vallières.
