SEE THE BEAUTY

DORATHA

Builder and executive director of l'Association Bénévole Amitié.

Ask Doratha what personal quality means the most to her, and she'll probably answer: Dignity. So much so that she's dedicated her life to making sure that everyone around her has the right to just that. Her organization, Association Bénévole Amitié, has been working for nearly 40 years to help people with mental health issues regain comfort, confidence and self-esteem.

WHO ARE YOU, DORATHA?

Oh là là. I am a dreamer. I am the executive director of non-profit organizations. I am someone who likes the people around her to be happy.

AND WHAT MAKES THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU HAPPY?

To be listened to. To be recognized. To have the right to feel good and beautiful.

HOW DO WE FEEL BEAUTIFUL?

At the organization, we do what we call Beauty & Wellness Days, where we offer our people treatments, like a makeup service or hair styling. It's crazy the effect it has. When people leave, their whole demeanor has has changed. Their posture improves, they smile. They see themselves differently.

WHAT ALLOWS YOU TO CONTINUE TO GIVE SO MUCH?

The key is to stay open to the positive. To find it and focus on it. My grandmother used to say that beauty was everywhere, you just had to want to see it.

When we announced that we were looking for people who sow beauty in their community for our campaign, we received quite a few nominations.

393 to be exact.

And of those 393 names, only one name came up four times: Doratha Auger.

Our curiousity was obviously piqued, so we called the Dorothy up to see what she thought about the whole thing.

"Why did they sign me up? Good question. Maybe because I'm a dreamer."

Doratha is too humble. She doesn’t just dream, she makes her dreams - and those of many others - come true. In fact, for 39 years, Doratha has dedicated herself to improving the mental health of people living in precarious situations around Montreal. From this dedication came the Association Bénévole Amitié and Association Logement Amitié, two organizations whose mission is to brighten the daily lives of those who need it, where she serves as executive director.

Learn more about these organizations here.

"I like the people around me to be happy, and the people around me right now haven't always had the chance to be. So I make it my duty to support them in any way I can," she says, quite simply.

The support she talks about is special because it is not always as tangible as that offered by other organizations. Yes, she serves free meals. Yes, she hosts events and fundraisers. But she also provides a way to raise her participants' self-esteem.

“We have what we call Beauty & Wellness days, where we offer makeup and hair dressing services to our beneficiaries. It’s crazy the difference it makes. They leave there and their whole demeanor has changed. They stand up straighter. They smile. They shine. They get a change to reclaim their right to be proud of who they are."

Speaking of the right to pride, even the building that houses Doratha’s organization was designed based on the dignity offered to those people who found themselves inside.

“I asked that there be as many unobstructed windows as possible on the ground floor, because I wanted anyone outside to see how good people are doing here, but more importantly, I wanted everyone inside to be able to look out and feel like they’re a part of something, that they’re home. They’ve lived on the other side of the window long enough; they deserve to enjoy the view from this side now.”

And the view from this side is beautiful, Doratha reminds us. “Actually, as my grandmother used to say, beauty is everywhere. You just have to see it.”

We swear we had our campaign tagline figured out before we talked to her.

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