The Mack Belson Foundation was established in memory of Mackenzie Reed Belson, a beautiful and loving four year old boy who died tragically in July 2006. Because Mack was so young, we as his family knew that we had to create a legacy for him. We had to make sure that Mack left his mark in the world. What we learned from this tragedy is that although as individuals, we have no control over the length of a life, collectively we can enrich the meaning of that life. This is how we choose to honour Mack, by ensuring that people can come together to help others in a most positive and meaningful way.

Though Mack had an auditory processing disorder, he was able to flourish because from a young age, he was receiving the help he needed. As parents of a child with a learning disability, we understand the fear and overwhelming frustration that comes with recognizing that there may be a problem. However, David and I knew that in Mack's best interest, we had to face the issue head on and with eyes wide open. We were told early on that we must be Mack's advocates, that we must stand up for him and that is exactly what we did. We began the long process of getting an assessment and then we worked hard to get the proper treatment. What mattered most was not that our child needed help, it was that he received the help he needed.

The Mack Belson Foundation, established at The Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal (JCF) is dedicated to fostering the full potential of young children with learning disabilities, challenges and developmental delays, by focusing on early intervention and support. Supplemented by generous donations from the community, our foundation helps children by assessing their needs at an early age. With this early assessment and intervention, we give children in need a head start, provide support and teach them that their challenges will not define nor limit who they are.

We have made a difference! As a result of your continued generosity, The Mack Belson Foundation is the major funder along with Federation CJA, of two very special programs. In 2002, the Bronfman Jewish Education Centre implemented an Early Intervention program in the Jewish elementary schools. As of October 2008, this program has officially been renamed The Mack Belson Early Academic Intervention Program and will continue to be administered by BJEC. Each school year, hundreds of kindergarten children receive an academic assessment at no charge to their families. The purpose is to determine which children are in need at an early stage. The goal is to provide them and their teachers with the proper tools and support to ensure that these children achieve academic success.

The Mack Belson Foundation and BJEC are very pleased to announce that beginning in September 2012, our early academic intervention program will be one of the first in Canada to implement the highly successful Response to Intervention (RtI) method. Please click here to learn more about it. 

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