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ABOUT US

Mission:

The mission of the Cowansville Volunteer Action Center is to promote and develop voluntary action in the different sectors of human activity by promoting a space of volunteer commitment around the issues (socio-community-humanitarian) which concern the population of its territory.

Vision:

The Cowansville Volunteer Action Center is a human-oriented organization that implements a set of innovative practices to stay in tune with its environment. Implementing its approach “the right person in the right place” on a day-to-day basis, it is the central player in the development of voluntary action in its territory. In this perspective, we accompany volunteer citizens in the development and constant improvement of the response to the needs of his community.

OUR VALUES

Empathy
For us, empathy is the fact of understanding the other by being able to put oneself in his/her place. It manifests itself in welcoming others with respect and dignity.

Professionalism
This value allows us to be rigorous and ethical at all levels of our activities. Discretion, honesty, transparency and commitment are elements of professionalism.

Cooperation
By cooperation, we refer to working together, sharing the same goals and being in solidarity with the means put in place to achieve them.

Support to the community
For us, community support means putting into action our generosity to meet the needs of that same community. It is manifested in the sharing of accessible and flexible services that are useful to the population.

OUR SERVICES

Getting safe, nutritious food to people through the foodbank is a community effort. We are part of a network that includes farmers, grocery stores, food distribution chains and volunteers committed to getting food to people in need.

Open Every Wednesday

Every Wednesday the food bank service provides food baskets to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. Food baskets consist of staple foods that can be prepared to serve adequate meals. Individuals and families receive between 5 to 7 days worth of food.

To Register

The food bank works by appointment only. To register, please call us at 450-263-3758 Thursday to Monday during office hours. We only take registrations from Thursday at 8:30 until Monday at 12:00. Registrations will only be taken during our opening hours.

Food Pick Up

The Food Bank is open every Wednesday from 8:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 14:00. Please bring one piece of photo identification and proof of residence. You will also need icepacks and bags to carry your food home.

Residents of the following areas are eligible for this service:

Cowansville, East-Farnham, Dunham, Frelighsburg and Brigham.

Donating Food

Donations are always welcome. However, please contact us before dropping them. Please do not leave donations outside. 

Address:

Cowansville Foodbank

175 rue Principale, L.5, Cowansville, Québec.

Domaine du Parc

The medical transport is a home support service offered by the CAB to people 65 years and older; it includes people who are in need of transport for the treatments of  hemodialysis, physiotherapy or a cancer treatment. 

All health measures related to the pandemic are in place. 

Terms of service

This service is available to people 65 years of age and over, who have the ability to get in and out of the vehicle.

  • The service is offered at all times, depending on the availability of volunteers.
  • It is strictly forbidden to smoke, drink, or eat inside the vehicle of the accompanying volunteer.
  • The volunteer cannot accept tips.
  • Charges may apply. 

To be elegible, you need to be a resident of the following municipalities: Cowansville, Abercorn, Adamsville, East-Farnham, Dunham, Frelighsburg, Lac Brome, Brigham and Sutton.

For more information, contact us  at 450-263-3758 or by email at [email protected]

Reservation of transport

To book transportation, please call at 450-263-3758 during opening hours. 

The designated volunteer will contact you to organize the transport details. 

To book a transport, you must call at least 48 hours in advance.

The medical appointment must take place within a radius of 100 km from the CAB.

This service is offered to people 65 years of age and over who need support for commissions in the same territory. The accepted commissions are the bank, the pharmacy and the grocery store.

Terms of service

This service is available to people 65 years of age and over, who have the ability to get in and out of the vehicle.

  • It is strictly forbidden to smoke, drink or eat in the carrier’s vehicle.
  • The accompanying volunteer cannot accept tips.
  • Charges may apply.

For more information, contact us at 450-263-3758 or by email at [email protected] 

Reservation of transport

To book a reservation for transport support, please call us at 450-263-3758 during CAB opening hours, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The designated volunteer will contact you to organize the details of the support.

To book a transport you must call at least 48 hours before the transport.

Free Income Tax Service

From February 24 to April 17 2025

***Please refer to the section titled "This Year’s Calendar" below for information regarding income tax assistance available at other times throughout the year.


Eligibility criteria:

Maximum income *

One person $ 35,000

Couple $ 45,000

Additional amount for each dependent child $ 2,500

* including interest income not exceeding $1,000.



We do NOT handle:

· Tax records following the death of a beneficiary (succession).

· Tax records of self-employed workers with declared expenses.

· Tax records with investment interest income of more than $1,000 per year.

· Tax records for individuals who declared bankruptcy during the tax year.



Operation:

· No appointment necessary, “first come – first served”.

· You must appear in person with all your documents and identification.

· We do not file your income tax declaration for you. It will be prepared and given to you before you leave.

· There is no charge for this service. We do accept donations, however.



This year’s schedule: (Feb. 24 – Apr. 17, 2025)

· Monday to Thursday: 9:00 – 11:30 AM / 1:30 – 3:30 PM.

· Friday closed.



IMPORTANT NOTES:

· Our organization is recognized by Canada Revenue Agency and Revenu Québec and our volunteers meet all government security requirements.

· The tax report is done with software. The volunteer enters the data from the information provided by the taxpayer.

· Our volunteers have completed the training courses offered by Revenu Québec.



ANNEX

Examples of documents needed for a tax return

Documents to bring with you:

· T4 and Relevé 1 for each job.

· Relevé 5 if you received social assistance benefits.

· Medical and medication receipts (obtained from your pharmacist).

· Relevé 31 for tenants (except for HLM tenants)

· Municipal tax bill (if you own a house and/or property)



People age 65 or older:

· T4A(OAS) old age security and T4A(P) Canada Pension Plan

· Relevé 19 (those aged 70 or over who use home-support services)



Families with children:

· Relevé 24 - receipts from various child care services

· Relevé RC62 - Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB)

· Receipts from children’s activities

· School fees



This Year’s Calendar

Our volunteers are available one Wednesday a month from May to December 2025 to help you file your tax returns.


Where : CAB de Cowansville, 201 rue Principale

When : One Wednesday a month

Schedule : 1:00 to 4:00 PM



Operation:

· Come in person, only on the date indicated in the calendar below.

· Bring all your financial documents and personal identification.

· No files may be left behind at the CAB, nor sent in by email.

· Your declaration will be prepared while you wait and given to you before you leave.

· There is no charge for this service. We do accept donations, however.



Available Dates

May 14, 2025 1:00 to 4:00 PM

June 11, 2025 1:00 to 4:00 PM

July 16, 2025 1:00 to 4:00 PM

August 13, 2025 1:00 to 4:00 PM

September 17, 2025 1:00 to 4:00 PM

October 15, 2025 1:00 to 4:00 PM

November 12, 2025 1:00 to 4:00 PM

December 10, 2025 1:00 to 4:00 PM

** No volunteers are available outside these dates **

Our volunteers can inform you and assist you with various programms to which seniors are entitled and often unknown. 

  • Help in understanding gouvernment programs. 
  • Help with procedures concerning health and social services. 
  • Help with housing, leasees, living in residence, correspondence, etc. 

Terms of service

This service is for people 50 years and older and their caregivers.

If you are a caregiver, we can provide you with information on retirement income. 

We can also inform you about the rights and procedures: 

  • For funeral arrangements
  • Elder abuse
  • Prepare or amend a will

This service is personal, confidential and free!

For more information, contact us at 450-263-3758 or by email at [email protected]

To register

To register, please call 450-263-3758 during office hours.

Residents of the following municipalities are eligible for this service:

Adamsville, East-Farnham, Brigham, Cowansville, Dunham, Frelighsburg, West Bolton, Knowlton, Brome, Sutton and Abercorn.

The CAB de Cowansville is an organization that has been working for 50 years in support of the community of Cowansville and its surroundings. Through our food bank, each year we distribute more than 2,000 food baskets to vulnerable individuals and families.

Currently, we are developing a food project led by our volunteers, which has two main objectives: to produce healthy food that will be distributed in the new Halte Chaleur for homeless people in Cowansville, and to raise funds to support the mission of our organization.

With the food donations we receive from the companies participating in the project, our volunteers prepare hot meals for vulnerable people and preserves that are then sold at various events, such as the Cowansville Christmas Market.

We invite you to become our partner! If you decide to contribute, your name will be listed on our products as well as on our digital publications. In addition, we can provide you with a tax receipt.

The farms that participated in this project in 2022 are:

  • Le Terroir de Dunham
  • Les Carottés (Brigham)
  • Le Paradis des Petits Fruits (Dunham)
  • Ferme du Haut Vallon (Frelighsburg)
  • Ferme au Cœur de la Pomme (Frelighsburg)

For more information, contact us at 450 263 3758

The partnership between the CAB and the IGA de Cowansville to offer the grocery order taking service to people aged 65 and over is now 3 years old!

This service, which began during the first wave of the pandemic, promotes the maintenance and quality of life of people living at home. The CAB receives an allowance for each telephone order sent by our volunteers. Thus, the dedicated work of our volunteers offers a double benefit: to break isolation and to contribute indirectly to raise funds that will serve the CAB to continue its mission.

This innovative partnership allows us to:

  • Promote the maintenance and quality of life of people living at home;
  • Break the isolation of vulnerable people;
  • Provide opportunities to volunteer from the safety and comfort of one's home;
  • Receive recurring funding for the CAB mission, which is reinvested in the community;
  • Consolidate our long-standing partnership with IGA Daigneault et Fils.

For more information, contact us at 450 263 3758

Le CAB en chiffres 2023-2024

Bénévoles actifs
0
Bénéficiaires qui reçoivent les services
0
Heures de bénévolat
0
Services rendus
0
Denrées alimentaires distribuées en KG
0

NOS TÉMOIGNAGES

Service apprécié : Bénévoles parfaits !

J’ai énormément apprécié le service. Les bénévoles qui m’ont accompagné étaient parfaits !

Bénéficiaire de l’accompagnement transport médical

The joy to help

It brings joy to be able to help others.

Justin, bénévole au dépannage alimentaire

Ensemble, un communauté bienveillante

On dirait que le CAB a inventé le mot bienveillance !

Sylvie, bénévole aux impôts

S’accomplir tout en améliorant la qualité de la vie et la santé collective

Le bénévolat m’apporte le sentiment d’accomplir quelque chose et de contribuer à améliorer la qualité de la vie et la santé collective.

Pauline, bénévole à la réception

Heureuse de pouvoir aider les gens

Je suis heureuse de pouvoir aider les gens. Faire du bénévolat dans un équipe dynamique m’apporte beaucoup de joie. Nouvellement arrivée dans la région, cela m’aide à m’intégrer à ma nouvelle vie.

Lyne, bénévole au dépannage alimentaire

Les bénévoles font une vraie différence dans la vie des gens

J’apprécie les accompagnements transports des bénévoles du CAB de Cowansville. Je suis très heureuse du service, ce sont de bons bénévoles et j’espère qu’ils resteront bénévoles encore longtemps!

Bénéficiaire de l’accompagnement transport médical

The joy of living

Volunteering enhances my joy of living.

Gaétane, bénévole au dépannage alimentaire

Je donne, je reçois

Le bénévolat pour moi c’est purement égoïste, c’est moi qui reçoit.

Arya, bénévole à la réception