Fire victims are bused to shelter. (Photo: Tzach Alon)

Spring means new beginnings, but this year, many Montreal families were forced to make a fresh start before March 21.

With the exceptionally cold winter, the number of residential fires in Montreal significantly increased. In 2008, Sun Youth, the city of Montreal and the Red Cross signed an agreement to improve services for fire victims. Sun Youth goes to the scene of fires, bringing food and other essentials to evacuees.

The intervention doesn’t end there: The next morning and for the following weeks, Sun Youth accompanies the most vulnerable through all the steps needed to get back to a normal life.

Sun Youth has been helping fire victims in Montreal for more than 40 years. So far this year, the organization has already been on the scene of 50 fires, assisting close to 200 families.

Please take the time to test and replace the batteries of smoke detectors.