Seeking to enable the flows of commerce for its international client base, made up of private and public-sector entities, as well as major retailers across North America and Europe, mdf commerce’s core values include ’’Acting with integrity’’, ’’Daring to think differently’’ and ’’Caring for the well-being of colleagues and clients’’. Consequently, thinking differently, while maintaining integrity and looking after the well-being of the general population, is among the central concerns of the company’s management and staff.
So, when a large sum of money was raised through an auction among the company’s 650 or so employees, nearly 350 of whom live in the area around its Québec head office, it was only natural to find a way to give back to the community with the money.
“Our employees purchased items that were up for sale because we are significantly reducing the leased space for our Longueuil headquarters. During electronic auctions arranged by our dynamic team, numerous staff members joined in the bidding to get their hands on a foosball table, a gaming console, a refrigerator, a TV, an electronic device, a coffee machine and many other office items. Today, we are proud to be donating more than $15,000 to a much-needed foundation,” said Luc Filiatreault, President and Chief Executive Officer of mdf commerce inc.
Cyberaddiction: A Natural Cause
Although mdf commerce is a tech company dedicated to ecommerce and eprocurement, and maintains various emarketplace platforms, it does not market any products that are at a high risk of creating a cyberaddiction. Nevertheless, this cause was deemed naturally because of its ‘’close links’’ to technology. In addition, mdf commerce wanted to help a foundation whose profile is not as prominent as other organizations working with physical illnesses.
An mdf commerce team presented a symbolic $15,000 cheque to the management of
Fondation Dépendances Montréal, earmarked specifically for its cyberaddiction project.
The foundation works to ensure that all individuals facing dependence or addiction have
free access to high-quality treatment services—because another future is possible!
Fondation Dépendances Montréal
Cyberaddiction is a growing concern for our society. According to some testimonials, seeking refuge in online gambling can be an attempt to forget one’s troubles and heal psychological wounds. However, it sometimes leads to suicidal thoughts. As we all face the growing need to navigate the Internet out of necessity (online banking, arranging medical appointments, etc.), controlling our impulses is becoming a real challenge.
“This major donation will give fresh impetus to our support programs for individuals facing cyberaddiction, in addition to enhancing our capacity to prevent and treat the consequences of this phenomenon,” says Martin Camiré, Assistant Director, Dependence Continuum, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Mental Health and Dependence Program Division.
Back in 2012, the Fondation du Centre de réadaptation en dépendance de Montréal began taking part in funding a project for clients dealing with cyberaddiction. The project is geared towards individuals with a strong dependence on using new technologies, smartphones, online games, etc. During treatment sessions, these individuals shared their experiences with others grappling with the same problem. The main goals were to break their isolation, help them to develop social skills in a group setting and foster a sense of mutual support.
Élise Desaulniers, Executive Director of Fondation Dépendances Montréal, offered this assessment: “The support provided by mdf commerce is crucially important to our foundation. This private-sector contribution reflects a commitment to social responsibility and strengthens our capacity to support all users of the addiction rehabilitation centre.”
In the future, the mdf commerce team hopes to continue helping Fondation Dépendances Montréal’s ‘’Cyberaddiction Project’’ in various ways.