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MEDIA ADVISORY

Volunteer chefs pitch in to prepare a gastronomic lunch for vulnerable and homeless women of Chez Doris

MONTREAL, DECEMBER 13, 2019 – On Tuesday December 17th 2019, Chez Doris will host its annual Christmas Party for vulnerable and homeless women. In order to effectively serve a holiday meal to 300 women, Chez Doris has joined forces with partners LaSalle College and Restaurant Le Blumenthal.

LaSalle College, a major college and vocational school, located steps from Chez Doris, has offered its space for free while Restaurant Le Blumenthal, a « a go to » restaurant in the Quartier des Spectacles will prepare, free of charge, a gourmet holiday feast out of the college’s culinary school, where Le Blumental chef Kevin Bouchard and his team will begin food preparations and cooking the night before. On the menu will be cream of broccoli and cheddar soup, caesar salad, turkey, stuffing, meatball stew, roasted root vegetables with candied shallots, baked potatoes with sour cream, and chocolate log cakes and fruit coulis. Police officers from stations 12, 20 and 50, along with volunteers will serve the feast. Well-known showman Sheldon Kagan will oversee the entertainment and the women will be serenaded by crooner Matt Mardini. Also on the menu: dancing, photo booths and bingo and games with fabulous prizes. Two Santas will distribute 300 personalized gifts, chocolates from Divine Chocolatier and presents provided by the ShoeBox Project.

DATE: Tuesday, December 17, 2019
TIME: Doors open at 9:00 am to a fully decked out room thanks to decorations donated by Danson Décor
LOCATION: LaSalle College, 2nd Floor in the Salle Paul Morin, 2000 St-Catherine Street West, Montréal, H3H 2T3

KEY MOMENTS:
9-10:00 am: Breakfast service
10:30 am: Dance floor opens for the women, the police officers and volunteers, animated by Sheldon Kagan, DJ and MC
11:30 am: Preparation of four food stations to be staffed by volunteers and donors alike, including representatives of B’nai Brith Québec, during which time the women will be serenaded by the multi-lingual crooner Matt Mardini
12-1:00 pm: Lunch service
1:30-2 pm: More dancing
2:00 pm: Distribution of personalized gifts along with presents provided by the Shoebox Project, and chocolates from Divine Chocolatier. Two Santas will be on hand for the gift distribution: Officer Joe Baccardi, from Station 20, in his last year as a police officer before retiring, and Erik Hamon, a Real Estate Broker with Groupe Sutton – Centre Ouest

MEDIA are invited to schedule interviews and take photos anytime between 9:00 am and 2:30 pm.

Interview opportunities, by appointment:
• Interview with Executive Director, Marina Boulos-Winton
• Interview with one or more clients of Chez Doris to learn more about their trajectories
• Interview with cooks from Restaurant Le Blumenthal
• Interview with a representative of LaSalle College
• Interviews with police officers and volunteers

About Chez Doris: Founded in 1977, Chez Doris offers services and programs to provide for women’s most basic and immediate needs related to coping with homelessness, poverty, mental illness and/or addictions. It is the only women’s day shelter in Montreal open 7 days a week, from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. Services include: breakfast and lunch; access to showers, hygienic products, and a clothing depot; emergency food bags; 6 respite beds; telephone information and referral assistance; financial management program; an Inuit assistance program; an Aboriginal housing program; health and mental health services; legal & tax filing services; as well as educational and socio-recreational integration programs. Chez Doris receives up to 100 women per day, which represents approximately 30,000 visits per year, and provides more than 42,000 meals annually. https://www.chezdoris.org/en/

About LaSalle College: Founded in 1959 in the LaSalle borough of Montreal, LaSalle College offers professional, college and pre-university training. Located in the heart of the city, it is the largest bilingual college in North America. It counts six specialty schools with over 60 programs: Fashion, Arts and Design; VFX & Game Design; Hotel Management and Tourism; Business and Technologies; Humanities and Social Sciences as well as e-learning programs. A member of the LCI Education network, LaSalle College is proud of the bridge it fosters between the workplace and education, not only in Canada but throughout the world. The talents of its students have been recognized time and again through various competitions.

About Restaurant Le Blumenthal: A non-profit restaurant in the Quartier des Spectacles whose surpluses help finance free activities at the Maison du Festival de Jazz.

About Sheldon Kagan: In 2015, Sheldon Kagan decided to call it a career after 50 years of being a well-established DJ, party planner, concert promoter and impresario in Montreal. Now in retirement he devotes his time to mentoring young musicians and charitable work.

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For further information or to schedule an interview or photos:

MEDIA RELATIONS: Virginie Thiou, Communications, Exponentiel Conseil
Cell: 438-321-5138 | vthiou@exponentielconseil.com

SOURCE: Chez Doris Women’s Shelter Foundation, Marina Boulos-Winton, Executive Director
Cell: 514-654-7597 | marina.boulos@chezdoris.org