Helping Hands

About the Club

The Helping Hands project is designed to show fellow students the unique pressures facing vulnerable populations in the Montreal area. Helping Hands is already partnered with the Chronic Viral Illness Clinic (CVIS, Glen Hospital), CLSC Parc-extension and the Native Women’s shelter of Montreal. We organize educational events, where students can learn about the obstacles facing vulnerable populations directly from clinic staff. We also provide women from vulnerable populations with basic necessities in the form of a feminine hygiene kit.

The CVIS clinic follows over 2000 HIV-positive patients, many of whom are asylum seekers (refugees) with difficult circumstances. We give our kits to women who are newly landed immigrants; homeless and marginally housed; and who live with HIV or other viral illnesses. In a reusable bag, our kit contains: sanitary napkins, tampons, wet wipes, panty liners, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, hand cream, shampoo, deodorant and condoms.

Each kit is designed to last the recipient for one full month. Physicians and social workers confidentiality explain how to use each kit item. Social workers and medical students collect feedback, to improve our kits and assess the impact that our kits are having in recipients’ lives.