Note: The information enclosed in brackets describes the visual and audio content of the video other than dialogue or narration.

[Background music]

[Text on the screen: For several years now, Desjardins has been working with Collège de Maisonneuve to implement programs that promote student success.]

Véronique Raymond, director of CLIIC, Collège de Maisonneuve:About 1 out of 5 students gets loans and scholarships.

One of the components of our project was precisely to help students who have a harder time financially.

Another component was to help students who are parents.

And the third component was to help students who are recently arrived immigrants.

Student 1: I arrived in Quebec in 2010. Three days later, I started working.

Student 2: My name is Omar and I'm from Mexico. I arrived here last year.

Student 3: I've been here for 3 years. Now I'm a student at Collège de Maisonneuve.

Véronique Raymond: 70% of our continuing education students are recently arrived immigrants. Half of them have dependent children. The great majority have family incomes of less than $20,000 a year.

Érik Pirro, hallway worker, Collège de Maisonneuve: They're students who are very poor and don't have much in the way of loans and scholarships. I can help them with emergency food supplies and financial assistance from time to time.

I can't even imagine what it must be like to be from a war-torn country and arrive here hoping life will be easy, and for most of them, realize it's not going to be easy. There's virtually no family network, the only friends they have are other students.

Student 1: People came here today for Family Day.

Véronique Raymond: Today was about providing them with activities they could do with their families.

Érik Pirro: The idea for today was to create a support network between them, to let them know they're not alone, that they can meet other people going through the same thing they are.

Student 2: It gives us a chance to get to know the community and also better integrate into Montreal society.

Véronique Raymond: On Family Day, we have about 10 volunteers from Desjardins. It's a great show of involvement.

[A student speaks into the microphone.]

Véronique Raymond: Desjardins provides us with $14,000 in support for key projects. With this kind of financing, we can add events to our regular program.

For us it's important that Desjardins continue to be involved like this in the community.

[Text on the screen: This project was made possible thanks to you. Thank you! A portion of your cooperative's profits are donated to a number of community projects

like this one at Collège de Maisonneuve.

Caisse Desjardins de Mercier-Rosemont, 514-254-7878

Cooperate in building the future]