Connecting people to Their community through the power of giving
What’s Going on now
In the months of January and February, we are collecting winter clothing and furniture.
We are also collecting monetary donations towards our food program and our Valentine’s gifts for women in the shelters we support.
Ready to help? Click the link below:
Over 20 Years Of Community Building
Hi! I’m Carolyn Bouchard-MacNeil, a mother of three, who began a small toy drive with a few friends and family members over two decades ago. This initiative has now evolved into a massive collaborative effort that is still growing. This year we collected 6,711 gifts to support children and women in more than 75 shelters and organizations. Thanks to our growing network of volunteers, Carolyn’s Toy Drive has become one of the largest community projects in Montreal!
Carolyn’s Community Initiatives
Carolyn’s Toy Drive
Carolyn’s Community’s flagship project, Carolyn’s Toy Drive, started in 2002, kicks off mid November and continues through the holiday season. Carolyn, along with her team of dedicated volunteers, aptly called her Head Elves, collect gifts for over 6,500 children and women in more than 75 women’s shelters and smaller organizations.
Coat Collection
The Coat Collection starts in late October, where new and gently used coats are donated and collected to support newcomers and families in need. Carolyn’s Community also manages lost and found collections at elementary schools, where unclaimed items are sorted, washed, and given to those in need.
Back to school collection
The Back-to-School Collection, which takes place in August, aims to provide new donations of school supplies and backpacks for children in need and newcomers. The cost of school supplies can be a significant burden for many families, and this initiative helps children start their school year off on the right foot with the necessary tools to succeed.
Food drive
The Food Drive is a year-round effort that organizes various school and group drives to collect non-perishable items. These donations are then distributed to families in need and newcomers through Carolyn’s Community of organizations. There is also a lunch bag program whereas different groups can purchase and prepare lunch bags for the unhoused people living in our city.
Regifting
Carolyn’s Community also runs a Regifting program that collects used furniture, household items, linen, clothing, shoes, toys, and more throughout the year. These items are distributed to various communities in need to help families and newcomers who may be struggling.
Connecting people to their community through the power of giving programs.
Teen Work experience and skills certificate program
Our teen work experience skills certification program is in response to the declining mental health of youth in Canada as a result of isolation, lack of social interaction, and essential life skills. Our mission is to engage and encourage youth ages 13 to 17 in gaining both life and employment skills training through volunteering opportunities helping us support front-line community organizations in and around Montreal. These are community organizations that cater to women’s shelters, single parents, group homes, refugees and underprivileged individuals and families throughout Montreal.
What people say about carolyn’s COMMUNITY
“Someone who by all means goes over and above to help the less fortunate. Every day Carolyn is working hard to find donations that will help other families in need. Never once thinking of herself and sacrificing many hours of her own time to give to the community. She has been and still is a valuable contributor to Auberge Transition. Always just a text, email or phone call away, she tries her best to find the much-needed items for the families we serve. From clothing to furniture to accessories, she is always there to support them. This takes away some of the financial pressure the women are faced with. She is by far one of the most generous and kind -hearted women I know and I am proud to call her my friend.”
– Auberge de Transition
“Depuis 2015, le MCVI a fait connaissance de madame Bouchard McNeil et pour nous et les centaines de femmes qui passent par notre centre, elle représente un vrai miracle et une figure positive et généreuse qui vient leur apporter un peu de répit, la foi, l’espoir, le sentiment d’être accueillis, reconnues et valorisées. Par ses dons, nos femmes nous témoignent de la grande gratitude qu’elles ressentent pour “cette ange” comme elles la nomment, elles qui ont été dérobées de tout, cette femme leurs tend la main sans aucun intérêt, sans aucune attente, sans aucun questionnement.”
–Movement Contre Viol et Inceste (MCVI)
“On the journey of healing from the trauma of conjugal violence, being able to offer a thoughtful gift to our clients is so meaningful; we could not do it without you and the tireless efforts of your team. We are grateful to you and your community supporters not just for the gifts but for being part of the journey to one day end violence against women.”.
-Auberge Shalom
“The partnership between Solomon Schechter Academy and Carolyn’s Community is truly extraordinary, creating a powerful ripple effect of generosity and support that extends to countless organizations, all through this one remarkable connection.”.
-Maya Doughan
“We have known Carolyn since 2016. Carolyn supports our organization with donations of all kinds; clothes, shoes, school supplies, food. Carolyn also supports us with material donations (computer equipment and furniture etc.) for newcomers. Every year in December we look forward to Carolyn’s toy drive which brings so much Christmas joy and happiness to the women and their children we serve. The Christmas gift collection is amazing; she is a distributor of love and joy. Carolyn remains attentive to the needs of the communities and constantly seeks solutions. She is available, always ready to help and very responsive.”
– Acte D’Amour
“I have had the pleasure of working with Carolyn for the past 6 years at [Willingdon Elementary]. She has demonstrated time and time again, through her involvement that she cares deeply about our community. She is well respected for being a “go-to” person, for getting things done, and for being dedicated to the global growth of our school and community. She is also known for her many great qualities, such as her positive attitude, teamwork mentality and trustworthiness. The world needs more people like Carolyn.”
- Carmen Nicolas | Principal, Willingdon Elementary School
“Seniors in Action is a group of about 30 retirees who play pickleball ball together and who still want to make a difference in life. We’ve helped with Carolyn’s Food Drive, Carolyn’s Winter Clothing Drive, Carolyn’s Furniture Drive, Carolyn’s Baby Products Drive as well as, of course, Carolyn’s Toy Drive at Christmas. We’re glad that we can contribute to Carolyn’s many efforts and we’ll be there for Carolyn as long as she thinks we can help.”
– Bob Schwartz |The Seniors in Action
“Carolyn’s Community has been a partner of Logifem since 2015. Carolyn is generous, organized, efficient and very reliable. We have come to count on her generosity to make celebrations special. On a regular basis Carolyn has organized donations of new and used items such as hygiene products, winter coats, undergarments, books, clothing, furniture and of course toys for the children in our services. Through her vast network, Carolyn has also helped us recruit volunteers to support our mission and at times has been able to organize extra special gifts for our participants such as hockey tickets. We are very grateful to Carolyn and her community for their support of our work with women and children experiencing homelessness.”
– Sally Richmond|Logifem
Carolyn's Community 