The best things about Montreal's West Island, and why you should help

Leanne Bayer is the executive director of West Island Community Shares, an agency that raises funds to support 40 local non-profit groups that all work in the area.

This year's CBC Montreal charity drive and Christmas Sing-In will benefit her organization.

Bayer is also a proud resident of the West Island. Here are her five favourite things she believes people need to know about her community, and why it needs your help.

1. Sense of togetherness

People come together. It's a really strong feeling.

They say, "I'm from the West Island, and we're in it together," and I think that's very important.

2. Ready and willing volunteers

We ask people to come out to events, and we don't get two or three or five people.

We have 20 to 50 volunteers who are willing to come out, and I'm talking for a 5:30 a.m. breakfast we recently had.

It's a really strong sense of, "I'm in this community, I love this community and I'm willing to pitch in to make a difference."

If you're asked to help, you put up your hand right away and say, "Yes, I'm here, what can I do?" 

So the fantastic thing about West Island Community Shares is that we do raise funds for 40 different organizations, so in that sense, it does bring the community together.

3. Physical beauty

It's a gorgeous community.

We have lots of parks and nice schools and the waterfront, and we all identify with that beauty.

4. Not everyone is affluent

There are a lot of needs in the West Island.

We have neighbourhoods in the north, in Pierrefonds, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, that fall in the lower income bracket, and we need to be conscious of that.

We have communities that are really struggling.

5. Lots of help to offer

The good news we have a lot of resources.

There are a lot of organizations working very hard to give people resources and access to services they need.

Join us on Friday Dec. 9, when Radio Noon, Homerun and CBC Montreal News at 6 p.m. will be broadcasting live from Fairview Mall.

To kick off CBC Montreal's annual charity drive, we'll be sharing stories about the people and groups that West Island Community Shares supports.