20th Guignolée Dr Julien fundraiser

Vulnerable Children Need the Community’s Support

MONTREAL, Dec. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Fondation Dr Julien invites Quebecers to give generously on its traditional fundraising day, Saturday, December 10, during the 20th Guignolée Dr Julien fundraiser.

This major annual event raises funds for community social pediatrics centres (CSPC) affiliated with the Fondation Dr Julien¹ to support the overall health of highly vulnerable children.

Popular support for 20 years and counting

The first Dr. Julien Guignolée fundraiser was held twenty years ago at the corner of Aylwin and Adam streets, in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood. Realizing the urgent needs of the social pediatrics centre created by Dr. Gilles Julien, the public immediately supported the Guignolée, and hasn’t stopped since.

“Thanks to the population and government’s faithful support, community social pediatrics has taken off and is providing free care to thousands of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Donate to the Guignolée Dr Julien fundraiser today to give them a healthy and happy future.” —Dr. Gilles Julien, community social pediatrics pioneer, founder and vice-president of the eponymous foundation.

Community social pediatrics meets a real need

In Canada, nearly 1.5 million children—one in five—live below the poverty line. In Quebec, the child poverty rate is over 15%.² The poorest of them suffer from growth and physical and social development problems, which perpetuate discrimination. The services provided by the Fondation Dr Julien’s CPSC are more crucial than ever.

Among the families receiving social pediatric services: ³

• 58% have two unemployed parents

• 44% are single-parent families

• 59% have two or more children living at home

• 67% of children have two or more challenges when initially receiving services, in addition to the physical ones

“Our multidisciplinary teams change lives every day and help eradicate the inequities that separate disadvantaged children from the most privileged. Despite our efforts, thousands of children still lack the care and support they need to achieve their full potential. No child should be left behind. That’s why we want to open approximately ten new centres in Quebec’s most vulnerable communities in the next four years,” said Alexandre Lebel, Operations Manager at the Fondation Dr Julien.

A local donation for local action

The money raised by each of the network’s centres funds the care provided in their community. This includes medical, legal, psychosocial, psycho-educational and educational monitoring; innovative therapies (art, occupational and music therapy); and specialized services (speech therapy, psychology, pediatric psychiatry and neuropsychology). Following a clinical action plan, various sporting and cultural activities (summer camps, driving classes, theatre, shows, etc.) are also offered to children for therapeutic and constructive purposes.

To donate to the Fondation Dr Julien or a local social pediatrics centre⁴:

• https://fondationdrjulien.org/en/guignolee-dr-julien/

• 1 855 DRJULIEN (1 855 375-8543)

• Send a cheque to the Fondation Dr Julien (4765 Sainte-Catherine Est, Montreal, QC, H1V 1Z5) or directly to one of the centres in your community.
  

Saturday, December 10: Family activities and a radiothon to raise awareness of issues affecting vulnerable children

To mark the Guignolée’s 20th anniversary, the Fondation Dr Julien’s CPSCs will hold many festivities on December 10.

In particular, the Fondation Dr Julien will be hosting a morning full of activities at the Garage à musique⁵. The event will include a game of street hockey between neighbourhood children, players from the Canadiens and other sporting professionals; a five-hour radiothon on the BPM Sports station⁶, first co-hosted by Jean-Charles Lajoie and Joël Le Bigot, then by Paul Houde; special coverage on Dessine-moi un matin (Ici Première), food trucks, musical performances, and much more.

Discover the event schedule at www.guignoléedrjulien.org.

About the Fondation Dr Julien

Through its unique community social pediatrics model, the Fondation Dr Julien trains, guides and certifies a network of social pediatric professionals, so that as many vulnerable children as possible can grow up healthy, while their fundamental rights are respected.

Each year, the Fondation Dr Julien helps more than 10,000 disadvantaged children across Quebec through more than 40 community social pediatrics centres.

Understanding community social pediatrics

For more information:
Léopoldine Frowein
Phone: 514 815-0234 | Email: lfrowein@fondationdrjulien.org

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¹ La Ruelle d’Hochelaga, Le Garage à musique and Atlas are the three centres affiliated with the Fondation Dr Julien.
² Source: Statistics Canada, 2017
³ Source: Clément et al. (2015). Regard mixte sur certaines particularités et retombées de l’approche de la pédiatrie sociale telle qu’implantée au Québec et sur son intégration dans le système actuel des services sociaux et de santé, Research report
⁴ You can donate to the 20th Guignolée Dr Julien fundraiser until January 15, 2023.
⁵ Le Garage à musique, one of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve’s two community social pediatrics centres, is located at 2080 Bennett Avenue
⁶ Formerly 91.9 FM