This program is designed for:

• Single parents with one or more minor children

• Single pregnant women or single women with a newborn (6 months and over)

• Families with three or more minor children

• People with disabilities and/or elderly people with mobility problems

*We give priority to families facing several vulnerability factors.

In addition to meeting the above family composition criteria, you must also meet the following conditions for access to this program:

1. Be in need of several essential items (mattress, fridge, oven, table and chairs, kitchen essentials), and not just additional items (dresser, sofa, etc.).

2. Hold a precarious immigration status (refugee claimants, PRRA, without status)

3. Be recently arrived to Canada; generally less than 4 months, with some flexibility depending on the situation

4. Have little or no income, e.g. be on welfare or have no stable source of income

Each family registered to Bienvenue Chez Vous will receive essential furniture and household items, delivered to their first apartment in Montreal.

The items each family receives depend on our current inventory. Most families will receive mattresses, a table and chairs, a box of kitchen items, baby items, and a refrigerator and stove if their apartment is not already equipped with these items.

Depending on availability, we will also provide sofas, dressers, side tables and coffee tables, as well as items such as lamps, rugs and wall art.

All items are donated by Montreal residents and are therefore used. Items may show signs of use, but are clean and in good condition.

Items are usually delivered to families within 2-3 weeks of registration.

We have the capacity to deliver to 10 to 12 families per week, depending on our resources and the items we have available.

Our team reviews each request, taking into account our current access criteria and the availability of items. We do our best to help families who need it most.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to help single adults or couples without children, except in exceptional cases, such as someone with a severe disability.

For those who don’t qualify for this program, we invite you to see if you meet the criteria for our other donation programs, like Bien dormir, and to consult our Welcome Guide for additional resources.

For those who don’t qualify for this program, we invite you to see if you meet the criteria for our other donation programs, like Bien dormir, and to consult our Welcome Guide to find additional resources for low-cost or free furniture and household items.

Our resources are limited, and we want to ensure that the most vulnerable families receive support. We understand that settling in a new country is a challenge for everybody, and we hope to be able to offer crucial help to those who need it most.

This program is designed for :

• Households that need 1-3 mattresses and do not benefit from the Bienvenue Chez Vous program

In addition, you must meet all of the following conditions to access the Bien Dormir program

1. Hold a precarious immigration status (refugee claimants, PRRA, without status)

2. Be recently arrived to Canada; generally less than 4 months, with some flexibility depending on the situation

3. Have little or no income, e.g. be on welfare or have no stable source of income

Each household registered with Bien Dormir will receive 1-3 mattresses delivered to their first apartment in Montreal.

All items are donated by Montreal residents and are therefore used. Items may show signs of use, but are clean and in good condition.

Items are usually delivered to families within 2-3 weeks of registration.

We have the capacity to deliver 20 mattresses per week, depending on our resources and available items. (Note that this is in addition to the mattresses delivered as part of the Bienvenue Chez Vous program!)

For those who don’t qualify for this program, we invite you to consult our Welcome Guide to find additional resources for low-cost or free furniture and household items.

This program is designed for newcomers to Canada who are in urgent need of winter clothing and are in at least one of the following situations:

• Have at least one minor child in Canada or be pregnant

• OR be a single person or couple aged 45 or over

• OR have a disability

• OR present another particular vulnerability (assessed on a case-by-case basis)

In addition, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Have arrived in Canada after January 1, 2024

• AND hold a precarious immigration status (refugee claimant, PRRA, without status)

• AND have no income or a very low income

• AND not already have suitable winter clothing

We depend on donations of winter clothing, and we never receive enough donations to help everyone. This means we have to choose to give winter clothing to some people and not to others.

As we receive more children's items and families are often in a very precarious financial situation, we give priority to families with children and others with additional barriers to support, such as disability or pregnancy.

We work hard to help as many people as possible, and keep an up-to-date resource guide of other organizations that distribute winter clothing for those we can't serve. Thank you for your understanding!

Each person can receive a winter coat, a pair of winter boots, a hat, a scarf and a pair of mittens or gloves.

All items have been donated by Montreal residents and businesses. All items are in good condition and the majority are lightly used.

We do not always have all sizes of all items, so we may not be able to provide all items to every person, but we will do our best to find items for you.

We are able to distribute winter clothing 3 days per week. Our resources are limited, and even if you meet the eligibility criteria, we may not be able to accommodate all requests.

Each family will have a 45 minute appointment to try on items in a private area with the help of volunteers. Volunteers will also provide helpful advice about staying warm in Montreal winters!

Welcome Collective has listed all the organizations in Montreal where you can find free or low-cost clothing. You can find them here in our Welcome Guide.