The co-founder of the Sun Youth Organization marks a milestone this week - Sid Stevens turns 80 on Thursday.
A 13-year-old Stevens and his 9-year-old buddy Earl de la Perralle founded Sun Youth to organize sports and recreational activities for them and other kids.
"Our decision was to keep ourselves busy and occupied and out of trouble," Stevens said in an interview with Dave Kaufman on the Elias Makos Show.
"We used to hang around the street a lot because we had no parks and playgrounds and (police) were always chasing us away. They threatened to arrest us a couple of times so we started our own organization inside a school yard so they could protect us because we were covered by wire fences."
Then Sun Youth expanded to much more: holiday food basket drives, giving needy students back-to-school clothes and supplies, handing out bikes to deserving kids, bike safety patrols - something their parents didn't quite understand.
"They thought it was nuts, they thought it was crazy. They couldn't understand why we wanted to get involved in things of this nature," said Stevens.
Sixty-five years later, they've helped thousands of people.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to change the way they handle emergency services to the public, now by appointment only.
Stevens said the pandemic has slowed them down but hasn't stopped them, adding that they and other food banks and charities are always seeking donations to help keep them going.
"Our concern, and everyone's concern, is the second wave that might hit us in October during our busiest period of the year but we've lived through it before and we'll live through it again," said Stevens.
"We'll continue to survive. We've been a survivor all these years and we'll continue to support Montrealers."