User:Concordiastudent/House of Friendship

Maison de l’Amitié is a Montreal social justice organization run by the Mennonite Church in Montreal, serving primarily the community of the Plateau neighbourhood. Their services, with a focus on immigrants and refugees, are available to people of all faiths and cultures.

Founding of Maison de l’Amitié

The Maison de l’Amitié/ House of Friendship was founded in 1973. It was an initiative that included the Mennonite Central Committee (Canada), the Ontario Mennonite Mission Board, and the Mennonite church in Montreal North. The building had formerly been a Ukrainian Community Centre and Credit Union, and before that a Jewish Peretz school. At that time, Montreal’s Plateau district was a low-income neighbourhood and thousands of families were in need. A daycare, Garderie Duluth, was established along with a youth centre for these families. The community also included many refugees and recent immigrants who were not being supported. In 1979 the Maison de l’Amitié began placing more of its focus on the refugee community in Montreal, with advocacy and consulting services for legal troubles and cultural adjustment. By 1989 this had developed into language classes and an emergency shelter.

The Mennonite Church in Montreal and The Mennonite Central Committee

Maison de l’Amitié is supported by several Mennonite organizations, including MCEC and MCC. MCEC, or the Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada is composed of Mennonite churches in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. MCC, or the Mennonite Central Committee. House of Friendship is affiliated with the Mennonite Church of Montreal, which holds services in the building.

The Mennonite church in Montreal began in 1958 with Église évangélique mennonite de Montréal Nord which closed in 1976. Mennonites have always been a minority in a historically Roman Catholic province. It was in 1978 that the Mennonite Fellowship of Montreal became a reality, and the founding of the Mennonite Central Committee’s Quebec office in Montreal followed in 1987.

Other MCC Projects

MCC is involved in work in North America and abroad. The Mennonite Central Committee was founded in 1920 in response to hunger in the former Soviet Union, and a need to support refugees who came to Canada. It has continued this work with programs in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. According to an article in the journal Development in Practice “the MCC successfully contributes to development initiatives in 20 African countries because of its philosophical and programmatic approach, which focuses squarely on accountability, a holistic approach to basic human rights, and a ‘listen and learn’ approach that encourages self-help initiatives and empowerment rather than a culture of dependency.” Pacifism is a strong component of the Mennonite faith, and MCC advocated for Mennonites who refused to participate in World War I and II. Of particular in their beliefs is an emphasis on conflict mediation and resolution, with Maison de l’Amitié and the Mennonite Fellowship of Montreal devoted to a “renunciation of violence in all its forms”.

An MCC worker named Edna Ruth Byler founded in 1946 what would become Ten Thousand Villages, a chain of stores that has several locations in Montreal. As a non-profit, they sell Fair Trade products from around the world and are staffed by volunteers. As part of their volunteer service, some student residents at Maison de l’Amitié have chosen to work at Ten Thousand Villages.

Mission Statement

The motto of Maison de l’Amitié Montreal is “Embracing Community”, or “Vivre Sa Communauté”. Their mission is “supporting community life and peace building in our local neighbourhood and city”. They also strive “to be a community of reconciliation and mutual service, where those seeking and those giving help all find healing and wholeness; to be peacemakers, working non-violently for justice in our community”. The Mennonite Central Committee “shares God's love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice”. The biblical reference for this is Matthew 25: 35, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”

Maison de l’Amitié is a gathering of individuals who wish to put their beliefs as Christians and Mennonites into practice by serving those in need within the city of Montreal, and also recognizing the global community.

Current Activities

The House of Friendship building has space for other offices, including that of RIVO, which stands for Réseaux d’Interventions auprès des personnes ayant subi la Violence Organisée. RIVO provides support to immigrants and refugees who have suffered imprisonment, torture, or other forms of trauma in their countries of origin. The Mennonite Fellowship of Montreal also has office space.

On the upper floor are rooms that are available to rent to guests during the summer. They are used for a student residence during the school year. There is an application process for potential residents to complete, and they must be willing to embrace community living within a Christian context, although there is no requirement for the residents to be Mennonite or Christian. But there is a necessary commitment to volunteer time each week at a local organization of their choice, such as Ten Thousand Villages or other non-profits.

As part of Maison de l’Amitié’s continuing focus on Montreal’s immigrant and refugee population, language classes for learning French and English are held in the building. Volunteer teachers offer their time to conduct these classes, which are open to the general public. In 2008, 2,070 hours of classes were taught by 51 teachers. In 2009, this grew to 133 volunteers and 3,334 hours. Some of these volunteer teachers complete their work as part of McGill University’s teaching program.

The House of Friendship is involved with initiatives that value the environment, such as the Duluth Farmers Market during the summer season, which was initiated by members of Greening Duluth. Greening Duluth, a project at the House of Friendship, received positive media attention for turning part of the parking lot in front of the building into a garden and green space. Maison de l’Amitié is part of the board for Camp Cosmos, a multicultural and environmentally-themed camp for children from low income families.

An annual Peace Festival is co-organized in Montreal by Maison de l’Amitié in partnership with MCC Quebec.

The Maison de l’Amitié building also has space that can be rented by community groups, and hosts many different events throughout the year.

Employees/ Volunteers and Funding

Maison de l’Amitié is run by a Board of Directors and an Executive Director who is held accountable to the board. There are both paid staff and volunteers who are part of the organization, from young people on internships to long-time members of the Mennonite Fellowship of Montreal.

Funding comes from government subsidies, donations from individuals and organizations, support from the Mennonite Church, and revenue from the Student Residence and Guest Rooms rentals along with fees for language courses. This budget goes towards staff salaries, programs, administration and building maintenance. In 2009, the total revenue available was $290 592.