THE TEAPOT'S HISTORY

In 1975, two home care workers recognized a need for spouses of homebound individuals to have some sort of a social outlet. Out of this concern came the development of a senior citizens "drop-in" center in a church basement in Lachine. From this point on, there was no looking back.

In 1976, Catholic Community Services, through Centraide, became the Teapot's primary resource of funding. Since then, the center has grown by leaps and bounds. What had begun as a "drop-in" center soon became a multi-resource community center. The original membership of twelve (12) in 1975 grew to three hundred (300) by 1979, and then five hundred (500) by 1983. Since the late 1980's, the number has remained fairly stable: between 650 and 700.

Since the beginning, our priorities have remained the same. Promoting the well being of seniors within the community has always been The Teapot's main concern However, in recent years there has been a gradual increase in the percentage of members over 75. This shift has prompted a change in the type of services needed by our members, and an increase in the number of services being made available to them. The Teapot's Home Support Program has evolved according to this shift, and has been adapted to meet the new realities it presents.

The Teapot has remained an organization with a dual role: an activities center and a provider of services. As such, in 1982 The Teapot was chosen from among the 16,000 centers funded by the New Horizons Program, to represent Quebec in a commemorative book marking the tenth anniversary of this Federal Government initiative.