Welcome Hall Mission Recognizes the Heroism of Employee Jean-Michel Gelinas

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - March 26, 2015) - Following the March 12^th rescue of a woman who lay bleeding on the Jarry metro tracks, Welcome Hall Mission recognizes the heroism of one of the workers at its emergency shelter for homeless men. Jean-Michel Gélinas, an Intervention Support Worker at the mission's St. Antoine St. location, was in the metro station with friends when they realized a woman had fallen on the electrified rails. Without hesitation, three men jumped down and pulled the woman to safety.

Jean-Michel Gélinas, André Creel, Bouh Kalif and Alejandro Joubert were honored on Thursday with Sun Youth's Good Samaritan Award. The organization rewards individuals of exceptional bravery who come to the rescue of people in danger, sometimes risking their own lives. Mission CEO/Executive Director Cyril Morgan notes "In an era that is too often marked by apathy, it is gratifying to see three young men act on their instincts to reach out to a person in need. We are very proud of Jean-Michel and other employees like him who put themselves in harm's way to serve others."

Gélinas knows what it is like to face difficulty. His first connection with Welcome Hall Mission was as a homeless client. Depressed, lonely and looking for someone to show him love, he responded to the caring atmosphere he found at the mission. Later, he committed to one of the mission's reinsertion programs and is now living an autonomous, meaningful life.

"Jean-Michel understands the needs of our homeless clients," comments Farell Duclair, Director of the Men's Mission. "He treats them with the empathy and respect that they deserve. We applaud his actions in the metro incident, and are proud to have him as part of our team."

Welcome Hall Mission helps Montreal's most disadvantaged through its multiple services which provide constant, effective assistance to tens of thousands of men, women, children and teenagers. Across all programs, the common denominator is its commitment to supporting and giving hope to the most disadvantaged through concrete actions and effective solutions to build a better life and reintegrate into society.