2024-01-14 00:00:00
After overcoming his addiction to hard drugs seven years ago, a former drug addict from Quebec wants to give back. This morning he braved the storm with its many volunteers to distribute 200 hot meals as well as clothing to people experiencing homelessness.
It was in front of the Saint-Roch church that Marc Gosselin was able to offer a little comfort to many homeless people for a fourth consecutive year.
DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
“I was lucky to have good friends who helped me because I went bankrupt, had dark thoughts and was on drugs from Thursday to Monday. Fortunately they were there for me, but I am aware that not everyone has this chance,” he explains.
“I didn’t think it would get this big. This year, Chassomaniak gave us 100 pounds of wood meat, BAM café gave us coffee, hot chocolate, muffins and Alithya gave us a lot of clothes and that’s without counting the other sponsors and volunteers” , says the man with a big heart.
DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
“You have to put yourself in their place”
Asked several times whether he was still going to hold the event due to the storm, Marc Gosselin candidly replied that it was not a few hours of freezing his butt off that were going to prevent him from paying it forward. .
“I was told that I was courageous to do that today despite the temperature, but people experiencing homelessness are outside seven days a week, regardless of the temperature. You have to put yourself in their place,” he explains.
DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
Although he did not choose his day because of the weather conditions, Mr. Gosselin nevertheless explains that he carefully selected the time of year to organize his event.
“I do this in January, because in December suddenly everyone is there to help them, but they are left to their own devices again a month later,” he says.
The participants also seemed to greatly appreciate his gesture, which allowed them to find a little comfort despite their difficult situation.
DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
Still possible to get out of it
As he finished his interview with the Journal, the good Samaritan was keen to send a message to people who are currently on the street or simply in a difficult situation so that they understand that they are not alone.
“Even when you are at the bottom of your life, when you are on drugs and you no longer see any escape route, there is always a way to get out of it […] It’s not because everything is bad right now that it will be the same in six months and I am proof of that.”
Today Marc Gosselin is proud to say that despite difficult years, he is an intellectual disability worker at Pivot and is part of the homeless table in Beauport.
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