Salvation Army Shelter Expands to Better Serve Residents

As a result of growing demand and long waitlists, the family program at L’Abri d’espoir in Montreal has expanded its capacity. This service provides shelter to women, particularly mothers experiencing housing instability.

“There are not many places in Montreal where women in need can feel safe, comfortable and stay long enough to get back on their feet,” Maricarmen Raudales, executive director at L’Abri d’espoir, explains.

“There are not many places in Montreal where women in need can feel safe.”

Guests in the family program can stay up to two years, making L’Abri d’espoir a crucial shelter option in the city and one that is in high demand.

With so many applications, Maricarmen knew a change was needed.

“We recently went from a capacity of seven to now 12 rooms, which is wonderful,” she adds.

The expansion was completed by creatively working with the space already available. Many of the family quarters were originally designed with connected spaces. By adding doors and separating these areas, they were able to add more suites. 

“Immediately, by doing that, we had four additional rooms,” Maricarmen says.

An oversized play area was also redesigned to create additional living space.

“Even though it may not seem like a lot, five more rooms make a difference because they respond to the needs of pregnant women and moms with preschool-aged children.” 

Aside from adding accommodations, plans are in place for additional improvements.

“Even though it may not seem like a lot, five more rooms make a difference.”

“We need to add more showers as well as another fridge in the kitchen,” Maricarmen adds. “Children don’t always like to eat the meals we serve. Also, we have guests from different cultural backgrounds, so some mothers want their kids to eat food from their culture.”

Looking ahead, the goal at L’Abri d’espoir remains the same—to help women find safety, stability and to guide them toward permanent housing.

While this expansion is one step in the right direction, Maricarmen is considering more ways to welcome additional guests.

“If we can take more of the space we have and maximize it, we could better respond to the needs of vulnerable women in our community.”

Donations to The Salvation Army would support further renovations and improve services, allowing the women and children at L’Abri d’espoir to have a comfortable experience while living in transitional housing.

By Juan Romero