SUMMER INTERNSHIP 2007
		Debbie So - BComm Queens University CEI Host Organization - Santropol Roulant CEI Funding partner - Hay Foundation

Hey everyone,

My name is Debbie So and this summer I’ll be the CEI intern at Santropol Roulant. I’m just starting my Bachelors of Commerce at Queens University and I’ve got to admit that I am excited to spend my summer in Montreal at this amazing non-profit organization.

From what I gathered, Santropol Roulant was a non-profit meals-on-wheels operation that brought together young volunteers to prepare and deliver meals to seniors in the community. However, just after spending a few days at the Roulant, I quickly found that the meals-on-wheels operation is a fraction of what Santropol Roulant is really about.

The meals-on-wheels program is the definitely the core of the organization, but the heart lies within the people that participate at the Roulant. It’s hard to describe the energy that flows within this organization. For one thing, everything is laid out in a very horizontal business structure. Collective decisions are a must and volunteer opinions are respected on par with the board of director’s. This not only communicates the value of the individual employee, but it also creates a sort of organic chaos that people feed off of. People welcome the chance to bounce ideas off one another, lend a hand to fellow projects, help in the kitchen, and generally break the boundaries of bureaucracy. Not to mention that the staff and volunteers are extremely personable, if not eccentric in most cases. The second thing about the Roulant is the endless amount of activities that spring from this organic chaos and their mission of building an intergenerational community. Art papers the walls, the summer Bazaar is coming up, the rooftop garden just got more compost, and volunteers are continuously flowing from the kitchen to the streets on their bikes loaded with organic meals. And of course, this all happens in a jumble of French and English which everyone seems to understand.

I’m proud to say that this summer I’ll be contributing to the Roulant by starting up a friperie (second hand clothing store) in the basement, organizing outdoor events like the Bazaar, and lending a hand to other fundraising initiatives in the summer. Whatever else comes I’m sure I’ll be ready for it and excited to boot. Oh, and you’ll probably find me in the kitchen and out on a bike doing deliveries – because who would pass up the chance to call biking in Montreal on a gorgeous summer’s afternoon a day at work?

Warmest regards,

Debbie So