Executive Director
Le Chaînon
Marcèle Lamarche
Woman of Distinction 2019
Woman of outstanding achievement Award
Presented by
Marcèle Lamarche, Executive Director of Le Chaînon, is an exceptional woman, driven by noble values and an unshakeable faith in solidarity and inclusion, whose professional career is worthy of admiration, embodies the thirst for justice and respect for all, unconditionally and without exception.
In 1985, she founded the Missing Children’s Network, an organization dedicated to the search of missing children. By developing new strategies and forging links with the authorities, she succeeded in bringing back 122 missing children to their parents.
Over the years, she has had a significant impact on various organizations while transforming the charitable and philanthropic sector through her innovative approaches. She also straightened the finances of the Jean Lapointe Foundation. With Paul Gérin-Lajoie, she created a positive working atmosphere and improved the Foundation’s public relations. At the helm of Moisson Montreal, she expanded the network of food donors in favor of the 200 community organizations served. In addition, her leadership at UNICEF Quebec and the regional office of the Red Cross has enabled these global organizations to better understand the issues in Quebec.
Since 2011, she is drawing attention to Le Chaînon. By creating Le Chaînon Foundation, she forged major corporate partnerships, ensuring supply sources, funding and sustainability of the shelter. In five years, she has doubled the turnover of the Chaînon’s store and mobilized hundreds of leaders, artists and personalities who have become standard bearers for homeless and vulnerable women. In 2019, her dream of establishing a house that can accommodate 49 women will see the light of day.
Since the start of her career, she has remained a model of commitment for permanent and volunteer teams as well as for all those who wish to get involved in a cause. Her natural leadership has led her to head negotiation and social advocacy committees. With Marcèle, problems become challenges, dream projects in which everyone sees themselves playing an active role than can make a real difference.
Whether as a founder, director or catalyst, she transmits the images and words that know how to inspire, move and convince, so that each individual sees himself or herself as an agent of positive change. If those affected by the cause she is leading decide to get involved, then she believes she has taken a step towards the well-being of all.
Marcèle Lamarche believes passionately that to change the life of a person in distress, to raise awareness and provide positive solutions, one only has to look, feel and then take action.
