Jeannine Gagné

Her longtime dedication has inspired generations of women, both beneficiaries and emissaries of this exceptional mission, whose humane, caring approach is based on the values of dignity, acceptance and autonomy. In 1987, under her impetus, the organization inaugurated Montréal's first overnight shelter for disaffiliated women, an innovative response to the effects of deinstitutionalization then underway. An exceptional motivator, she played an active role in the delicate transition from a voluntary model to a professional, permanent structure, as witnessed by the existence today of four Le Chaînon shelters. The tenacity and inventiveness of Les Associées du Chaînon, embodied by Jeannine Gagné, have left an indelible legacy in Montréal, contributing over the past 94 years to a more caring society offering unconditional, secure assistance to thousands of vulnerable women in precarious circumstances.