The Christmas Index
A service to community organizations
The Christmas Index is a service offered during the holiday season to community organizations in the Greater Montreal area which distribute Christmas baskets, cheques or food vouchers to those in need.
The Index's role is to keep track of duplicate requests for baskets and advise the donor organizations, thus assuring that a larger number of households benefit. Participating organizations are requested to make a donation to the Index to cover administrative costs.
The Index is a Montreal tradition dating back to 1919. It's been managed by the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal since 1969. About 200 organizations in the Greater Montreal area make use of the service.
The Index needs volunteers in November and December who can give a half day or a full day of their time per week. The main tasks are data entry and reporting back to client organizations. If you'd like to volunteer, please call the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal at 514.842.3351.
Please note that the Index is a service for community organizations and that its volunteers are not able to help individual beneficiaries. Individuals wanting the names of organizations that distribute Christmas baskets are requested to call the Information and Referral Centre of Greater Montreal at 514.527.1375.