Beneath dim, yellow lights, surrounded by portraits lining the beige walls, it’s not uncommon for students to occupy the comfortable couches in the old-looking common room of McGill’s Royal Victoria College residence. On Nov. 30, however, microphones and speakers were set up beside the intricately decorated grand piano, and the students snacked on samosas and coffee while listening to musicians.
After the final singer finished his performance, students trickled out of the room and volunteers began cleaning up. In an adjoining room, Natasha Chatur, a McGill student and president of Trek for Teens Montreal, sat on a couch sporting a grey tuque with the organization’s blue logo on the front. Trek for Teens Montreal’s Coffee House event had just finished.
Trek for Teens is a non-profit organization that started in Toronto in 2007 which “promotes awareness for homeless youth,” explains Chatur. She first heard about the organization when she met the Trek for Teens Toronto president at the Queen’s Conference on Philanthropy (QCOP) in Ontario last year. She said she was “extremely inspired” by the organizations goals, and “thought it was very motivating to reach out to people of (her) generation.”
After contacting the president of the Toronto chapter for information on creating a new branch, Chatur got to choose the shelters the Montreal chapter was going to donate to. She and her team picked Dans la Rue, En Marche and Refuge des Jeunes. She said they chose these three due to their age range of 12-20, which her and her team felt was close to their own age.
Chatur explains that Trek for Teens Montreal is the first bilingual chapter, which is a great step forward to spread awareness on homeless youth. The chapter’s official French name is Animer les Ados, which means “to encourage the teens or youth.” They try to hold an event each month to raise funds. Due to exams, there will not be an event in December, but their next event should be at the end of January. It will be a skating activity which will most likely be geared towards families so that a wider audience can participate while keeping the season in mind.
“It is important to keep in mind that it is not a club, it’s not a group—it’s an actual set forth organization that does essentially pay taxes and things like that,” says Chatur. This means that anyone can get involved with the organization. Volunteers can either apply to become an executive member which include among others secretary, event planner, marketing, and finance. More information on executive positions can be found on their website. If people do not want to be an member, they can simply come help out at the shelters. On Wednesday, Nov. 30, a few of the executives and their friends went to Dans la Rue to help prepare hotdogs for this week’s lunches. “Little things like that can definitely make a difference in the larger community,” Chatur concludes.
For information on upcoming events, visit Trek for Teens Montreal’s Twitter or Facebook page. Events are usually advertised about a month in advance on social media. People are also welcome to contact any of the executives or visit the organization’s official website for more details about events or volunteer opportunities.