Life and death are part of our daily work. The Roulant is a community where strong bonds are forged very quickly, where we connect with unique, authentic, sometimes extravagant people of all ages.
When people in the community pass away, we celebrate their lives and their contributions to the Roulant as a whole. Not every organization is fortunate enough to have members who can be part of the client or volunteer community, who have the opportunity to be involved for many years, to adapt to new realities, to bring kindness, love, laughter, tears, and always make us evolve and grow.
A great lady of our community left us earlier this spring. Augustine Girard, for whom the Roulant was a second family and whose laughter could be heard from the first floor at our events, had a gift for storytelling and sharing. A volunteer and client, Augustine was always willing to give of her time and was even the star of an intergenerational cooking workshop where she presented Quebec recipes. She is also the star of our July meal calendar this year.
Bernie Shalinsky, a pillar of the community and tireless volunteer on Fridays in the kitchen, who always stayed for lunch with the team and other volunteers after his shift, has also passed away. In addition to being involved for almost a decade and serving as a member of the Board, Bernie was one of our greatest ambassadors, introducing the Roulant to many members of the community, and always being present at our events.
In sharing this news, we want to illustrate the cycle of life that we all work with. Life and death are to be celebrated, and we know that everyone who enters and leaves the Roulant community leaves their mark.
To share a story or a memory, contact Jean-François Veilleux.
For more information about commemorations, contact Pier Liné.