CSL seniors bring holiday cheer to the Old Brewery Mission

They were late arriving due to mountains of freshly fallen snow, but not one of the men showed any signs of agitation. As they entered the shelter’s large cafeteria sporting big smiles, they traded their coats for aprons, and it seemed as though everyone in the room gravitated naturally towards their paternal presence.

That night, these enthusiastic men would serve a well needed hot meal to over 300 of Montreal’s neediest souls, as well as providing a $1500 donation to the Old Brewery Mission.

The club’s president, Archie Moss, appeared to be keeping a modest demeanor when he spoke to The Chronicle about the Senior Men’s Social Club’s (SMSC) tradition of volunteering at the Mission during the holidays.

As the conversation continued, it became clear that the SMSC’s activities are so entrenched in the spirit of volunteer work that it wouldn’t occur to Moss to inject any kind of grand rhetoric into what he considers an everyday task. “I don’t know what kind of a message we can send other than what we do,” said Moss when asked if there was a message the SMSC was trying to get across. “I think that the community knows that we do a lot of volunteer work.”

The club is based out of the Côte Saint-Luc’s Senior Social Center, where the city provides them a free office and meeting space. “I always joke to the fellows that the city wants to keep us off the street so they started a senior social club just to get us someplace to meet,” said Moss.

And their meetings have been fruitful. The SMSC has come to be known as a reliable resource of volunteers for institutions across the city. With over 400 registered members, Moss says that often hospitals or seniors’ homes will call looking for volunteers, and he can usually oblige them.

On the same night that Moss and his four co-members were at the Old Brewery Mission, another group from the SMSC was at the Miriam Home in Laval, helping out with a Chanukah/Christmas party being held there.

While Moss downplayed his club’s work at the Old Brewery Mission, Cindy Hershon, the Mission’s director of development, was more vocal in saying how important their contribution was. “It’s unbelievable,” said Hershon of the SMSC’s impact. She said that there was a different energy in the air when the men were serving the meals because of natural comfort their presence provided.

The SMSC were just one of the groups who participated in a sponsor-and-serve night at the Old Brewery Mission. Groups can sponsor a night’s meal and then have the opportunity to come and serve the food that they’ve paid for. “For your average charity, you give donations, but you never see it,” said Hershon. “Here a group of people get together and they see their money; they see what their doing, it’s feeding all these people.”

During the holidays, the Old Brewery Mission is flooded with groups who want to sponsor a meal, but according to Hershon, people forget that they don’t just serve meals during the holidays. “We’re open 365 nights a year and we’re aiming to have 365 nights sponsored, but not all nights are sponsored,” said Hershon.

The Old Brewery Mission not only provides meals, but also a network of social services and close to two hundred beds for the city’s less fortunate. But for all these services, the government only provides about ten per cent of their total cost needs, so donations are always needed.

Those interested in helping out can take a look at the Old Brewery Mission’s website at:www.oldbrewerymission.ca