A magical Christmas for 700 underprivileged children in 2009!

Thanks to the generosity of our numerous donors, sponsors, and volunteers, the O.P.C.R. offered a magical Christmas to 700 impoverished children with its 19th Christmas Show. They spent an unforgettable day in luxurious hotels they never get a chance to visit otherwise: kids from Quebec had fun at the Hilton Quebec Hotel on December 15, while those from Montreal were greeted at the Delta Montreal Hotel on December 18. To add even more magic to the celebration, the ballrooms were festively decorated by the craftsmen at Serrano Studio.

The children were invited to watch shows animated by the popular Clowns du Carrousel, participate in make-up workshops, express their creativity by making arts and crafts, and feast on an all-you-can-eat hot buffet. From the day’s very beginning, the spectacular arrival of Santa Claus in his sleigh pulled by nine reindeer, as well as sightings of Mrs. Claus and the Star Fairy amazed both kids and adults. Everyone in attendance had eyes sparkling with emotion as they witnessed this magical moment. To offer children extra hugs and affection, 13 of their favourite mascots took part in the festivities, thanks to sponsorships from the mascot’s popular companies. Finally, this memorable day was marked by long-awaited presents, as well as by an abundance of entertainment and surprises, which overjoyed the children who truly deserve it!

The objective of the annual Christmas Show is to assist underprivileged children and help them break free from their social isolation. To date, 12,500 children have participated in one of these superb Christmas celebrations. To find out more about the Christmas Show or to make a contribution to next year’s event, click here.

The O.P.C.R. hosted its 7th international conference on May 27 and 28 2009 in Montreal, which also celebrated the organization’s 25 years of service to the cause of children. This important conference brought together renowned experts from five continents, and shed light on Sustainable Best Practices in Programs for Children and Youth (Youth Leadership, Social Problems and Environment).

It helped identify the most promising programs, as well as the ones that have proved themselves successful, pertaining to youth leadership, youth employability, children’s health, street gangs, violence, poverty, child labor, child trafficking, and the environment. The objective of these conferences is the exchange of essential information to find long-lasting solutions to assist youth and encourage the emergence of new high-quality projects. Equipped with better resources, the invited experts, in turn, make recommendations to their institutions, governments and organizations in hopes of implementing the best programs on an international scale.

Educate and raise awareness of the growing phenomenon of street gangs

The street gang phenomenon preoccupies the general population as well as those who work in the judicial system (police officers and prosecutors), correctional facilities and youth centres. Although many people are concerned by the phenomenon, our knowledge of the matter is relatively limited (Report ‘Le phénomène des gangs de rue au Québec, 2009’ from the Gouvernement du Québec).

In addition, youth membership to street gangs is becoming more alarming in the country. Poverty and social disorganization are the two main contexts in which gangs emerge, and the young people who join them are usually in need of the status and recognition they offer (Jeunesse et gangs de rue Phase I, Jacques Hébert, Sylvie Hamel and Ginette Jacinthe Savoie).

Following the recent summit in Copenhagen, the importance of an international environmental agreement is now clearer than ever. Environment Canada aims for “an agreement that brings countries together to address our shared global economic and environmental challenges, and one that will put us on a path toward sustainable, low-carbon economic growth.”

The O.P.C.R. maintains that children are the earth’s greatest asset and that we must act now to ensure a planetary collaboration on the environment to secure a better future for us all. The opinion piece Gaia 2031 underlines the strategies needed to preserve the evolution of future generations and give them the best possible chances for success. Click here to know more about Gaia 2031.