Pierrefonds-Roxboro, June 16, 2026 — The Fonds d’aide de l’Ouest-de-l’Île (FDOI) turns 60 this month. The organization is marking the milestone with a new brand identity and future home that will serve as a vital hub for the community.
Since 1966, FDOI, previously known as the West Island Assistance Fund (WIAF), has been a pillar in the West Island, providing essential needs to residents and social programs to the community. Today, those needs are greater than ever.
The need is growing on the West Island
Often seen as an affluent part of Montreal, the West Island is changing as the cost of living, isolation, and financial pressures are catching up with many residents. Food assistance requests at FDOI have risen by more than 15% this year alone, and working adults are among the fastest-growing groups turning to the food bank for the first time.
“We’re seeing more and more people coming to us who are working, raising families and doing everything they can to make ends meet,” says Gregory Orleski, President of the FDOI Board of Directors. “Once rent and bills are paid, there isn’t much left for groceries.” In 2025, FDOI distributed an estimated $2 million in essential goods.
Building a new community hub for the West Island
FDOI purchased the former Canada Post building in Roxboro late last year. Renovations will begin in fall 2026 to turn it into a community hub that will continue to serve the West Island for decades to come.
“Our current space can’t keep up with the demand, and we don’t want to turn anyone away,” declares Chantal Laferrière, Executive Director at FDOI. “The new building gives us the room to serve more residents, expand our current services, and partner with other West Island organizations to offer even more programs and services, all under one roof.”
The new space will expand FDOI’s core programs, including the food bank, the Deuxième Vie thrift shop, the collective kitchen, and the Garden of Hope. It will also introduce a community bistro, where residents can enjoy an affordable meal and connect with neighbours. New shared spaces will allow for closer collaboration with other West Island organizations to offer psychosocial programs for women, children, seniors, and newcomers.
A new look for a new chapter
FDOI’s refreshed visual identity reflects both the organization’s legacy and its new direction. A 60th anniversary logo will accompany the brand throughout the year to mark six decades of service to the West Island community. “We’ve spent 60 years showing up for the West Island,” concludes Laferrière. “What we’re building now is for the next 60.”
About Fonds d’aide de l’Ouest-de-l’Île
The Fonds d’aide de l’Ouest-de-l’Île (FDOI) is a non-profit organization that’s been meeting the essential needs of the West Island community since 1966. It provides equitable access to food, clothing, and hygiene essentials, and runs seasonal programs for the back-to-school and holiday periods as well as social programs geared towards children, women, seniors, and newcomers. Its sustainable, community-driven model is powered by the collective efforts of volunteers, partners, and donors, alongside social and economic initiatives that reinvest directly into its mission to strengthen and support the communities it serves. The FDOI is committed to ensuring that no one in Montreal’s West Island faces hardship alone.
Follow FDOI on Facebook and Instagram.
Download our logo package below:
