MADA Announces Gala Event in Honor of Brenda and Samuel Gewurz
Montreal, QC (PRWEB) May 19, 2016 -- MADA, a non-profit community center with a mission to care for people in need by providing basic necessities, today announced its Annual Gala, honoring Brenda and Samuel Gewurz, to be held on June 7th at Le Windsor Ballroom. The Gala will feature a performance by Ethan Bortnick, a musical child prodigy who has received standing ovations at venues across North America.
This year’s Gala is a celebration of MADA’s new community center and the launch of its capital campaign. Located at 6875 Décarie, this new center represents MADA’s greatest opportunity – the capacity to do much more for the community, and its greatest challenge – the cost of building those great opportunities.
MADA’s new kitchen allows it to significantly increase the amount of food it prepares daily. Its new ‘drive-thru’ allows clients to pick up food parcels with discretion and confidentiality. The new dining hall provides the opportunity to sponsor weddings and bar mitzvahs for families who could not otherwise afford these, and other life cycle, celebrations.
While other foodbanks in Montreal are contracting under pressure, MADA is growing. Last year, it distributed more than 4.5 million kg of food, served more than 330,000 meals and re-donated more than $1.6 million worth of food to other food banks and non-profit organizations in the city. Additionally, MADA delivered more than 33,000 Shabbat to Share meals.
The new center is a permanent home for the MADA community – patrons, volunteers and staff. It also provides the foundation for MADA to plan for its long term role in helping the hungry, the needy and the lonely in our community.
This year’s honorees are Brenda and Samuel Gewurz. Highly-respected real estate developers, the Gewurzs are pillars of Montreal’s Jewish community.
Samuel Gewurz was introduced to MADA when he volunteered to deliver Shabbat to Share baskets. He wanted to give “tzedakah” (charity) by giving of his time and energy – not simply writing cheques. While making these deliveries, Samuel met some of the lonely people in our community who wait patiently for their weekly visit from a MADA volunteer to bring them a Shabbat meal, candles, wine and a flower. This profound experience motivated Samuel to lend his support to MADA. Brenda Gewurz, an esteemed community leader, was quick to join her husband’s effort.
“Brenda and I agreed to be honored by MADA because it needs significant financial support in order to insure its critical role in helping the most vulnerable in our community,” says Samuel Gewurz. “As we all know, the real honor lies in the amount of help that we can generate for MADA.”
“Brenda and Sam Gewurz are exceptional leaders and we are proud to be honoring them this year,” says Rabbi Chaim Cohen, Executive Director, MADA. “We believe that protecting peoples’ dignity is as important as providing basic essentials to those in need. The Gewurzs embody MADA’s values and serve as an inspiration to all. They are true pillars of the community and under their leadership, we are confident that our capital campaign will be a success that allows MADA to grow in response to our city’s increasing needs.”
Event Details
Date: Tuesday, June 7 at 6 PM.
Location: Le Windsor Ballroom, 1170 Peel St.
Admission: Tickets are $180.00 each - $75.00 for individuals under 40 years of age.
For tickets, sponsorship and naming opportunities, please contact Shterna Pinson at shterna(at)madacenter(dot)com or (514) 342-4969 x 246.
About MADA
Founded in 1993, MADA is a volunteer-based organization that relies upon private donations from individuals and foundations. Based on the vision that protecting individual dignity is inseparable from the provision of care, we provide our patrons with social and crisis services free of charge, and serve as a safe haven for those in need. MADA’s mission is to help people with the basic necessities of life, while helping them to become self-sufficient. MADA’s food bank offers a wide variety of essential items at no charge. Our cafeteria ends the loneliness and indignity of hunger in an uplifting environment. Friendly volunteers bring delicious meals directly to patrons’ tables, restaurant style. MADA also delivers meals and friendly visits to elderly patrons with limited mobility. Rooted in Jewish tradition and founded on a vision of caring, MADA welcomes, supports and embraces all people, irrespective of religion, race or nationality. MADA is committed to treating all people with dignity. Feeding people is often the end result but the approach involves opening hearts, acting as an extended family and treating people with respect. For more information on these and other services, please visit http://www.madacenter.com.
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Mark Lowe, PRagmatic Communications, +1 (514) 499-9632, [email protected]
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