Scots care! Support the St. Andrew's Society

Founded in 1835, the St Andrew’s Society of Montreal is a charitable society dedicated to the assistance of all Montrealers and to the preservation of Scottish arts and culture.
Through various fundraising events, the society assists a number of institutions including the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital and the Douglas Hospital Foundation. It also provides grants for special cultural projects, bursaries for over fifty post-secondary students annually, and emergency assistance to Scots in need. The St Andrew’s Society is a major sponsor of the McGill Chair of Canadian-Scottish Studies.
Tax receipts will be issued for all donations.

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How we help

So far in 2020, we have:

• provided over $14,000 directly to families and individuals through our community assistance program
• disbursed over $49,000 in bursaries to students and universities (McGill University, Bishop's University, University of Guelph, Université de Montréal and The Presbyterian College) through our educational aid program
• donated $40,000 to the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital. These funds were raised at our annual WhiskyFête event, and will be used in part to support an important research collaboration between the University of Edinburgh, McGill University and the Neuro.
• donated to the Douglas Hospital Foundation in support of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute: $18,000 from monies raised at the silent auction at the 2019 St. Andrew's Ball and $2500 from the Montreal Highland Games. The Foundation is working hard to support the front-line team at the hospital which is managing the consequences of the pandemic on people suffering from mental illness. The Douglas is part of the global effort to contain, treat and manage the coronavirus.
• donated $5000 to the Atwater Library in support of programs and services meeting the needs and interests of Society members. Over the past 15 years, the Society has contributed to the development of a specialized Atwater Library Scottish Collection of books and movies by and about Scottish Canadians and Scots. The Society also supports Atwater Library's educational and cultural events with Scottish themes, such as talks by the St. Andrew's Ball guests of honour during Ball Week. The library does a great deal of outreach in partnership with other educational institutions, a variety of community groups and seniors' centres. Partners include the Chair in Canadian-Scottish Studies at McGill University and the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Homes Foundation. Consistent with the founders' vision through 191 years of community service, there has been an emphasis on serving the disadvantaged—job seekers, people with low incomes, immigrants, and isolated seniors.
• donated $3000 to the Dawson Boys & Girls Club, a community centre located in Verdun where children, youth, adults and seniors can experience new opportunities, build positive relationships and overcome barriers. Dawson offers a wide range of educational, developmental and social programs for over a thousand members. Dawson’s Food and Sustainability department provides nutritional support for all programs, a mobile fresh fruits and vegetables market as well as the Manna food bank.
• donated $500 to the Scotdance Canada Dance-a-Thon Fundraiser event in support of Food Banks Canada and the Kids Help Phone charities. Food Banks Canada is a national charitable organization dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. They support a network of Provincial Associations, affiliate food banks, and food agencies that work at the community level to relieve hunger. Their work is focused on maximizing collective impact, strengthening local capacity, and reducing the need for food banks. Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7, national support service. They offer professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French.
• donated to the Depot Community Food Centre, formerly the NDG Food Depot. The Depot is a community-based non-profit organization founded in 1986 that works collaboratively with other community partners to address issues of food security in NDG and the surrounding areas.
• donated to Auberge Shalom pour femmes, a community-based centre addressing the needs of all women and children whose lives have been affected by conjugal violence. The centre is open to all women, with or without children, from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Auberge Shalom is committed to breaking the cycle of conjugal violence through education, prevention and advocacy.
• donated to the Old Brewery Mission, which provides emergency care to the homeless such as a secure bed and nutritious meals, as well as psychosocial support services aimed at permanently housing our city's most vulnerable citizens.
• supported the Montreal Highland Games ​Virtual Solo Piping Competition ​and Highland Dance Presentations (with thanks to Pembroke Private Wealth Management)
• promoted the Pop-up Piper video project (surprise appearances by pipers at different locations around the city) with thanks to Ian and Angus Aitken
• given monies to the McCord Museum (Canadian tartans collection) and the Kinnear's Mills Celtic Festival, and awarded the Keith Radley Hutchison Award which includes a cash prize