Board of directors
Claude Ciccone, President
Born in Montreal in 1953, he works as a financial and insurance broker since 1984.
In 1981 at the age of 27 he married his charming wife Lise. They celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary in 2008. They have a daughter named Sophie, she married Marvin in 2006, through this union Claude and Lise became grandparents to Dalia and Olivia.
After accepting Christ as his Lord and Saviour in 1973, his faith in Christ helped him to develop his desire to do humanitarian works. Twice a month from 1996 to 2000 he was involved with a group of people in the region of Chambly; they distributed food to those in need.
He has been a member of the foundation for 11 years, and elected president in 2000. This has led him to travel to Haiti (since 1999) and Africa (2008) in order to be able to seek out their needs.
His desire is to help alleviate poverty in Haiti, Africa and in Quebec; this is done by way of financial support through foundations such as Wallaby, MIMAS and Centre Conseil- Grossesse.
Sylvain Perreault, Vice President
Raised in a modest home of eight children, Sylvain studied at André Grasset College, he then acquired a degree in Business administration at the University of Montreal.
After his marriage to Nancy in 1985, he accepted a job offer with Canada Packers which brought him to establish himself in the region of Rimouski. He achieved several levels of excellence in sales such as the best sales of the year for Quebec in 1989. In 1993 he also obtains the best sales results in all of Canada within another company Bristol Myers Squibb. Wanting new challenges, he discovered a passion for real estate; he then joined Re/Max in 1996. He became a chartered real estate broker, and became assistant director of sales for one of the largest Re/Max office in Canada located in Laval having more than 160 agents.
Since 1996, Sylvain was honoured at the Re/Max international congress in Las Vegas, San Diego and in Florida. In 2003 he was honoured into the Re/Max Hall of Fame, in 2007 he became a member of the Re/Max platinum club.
As a founding member of the Fondation des Oeuvres Internationale, his main responsibility is marketing, he takes to heart every humanitarian project .He sponsors a child from Haiti through our child care program. He has participated in three humanitarian missions the last one being in 2007 with his wife Nancy and daughter Emilie.
As an able hunter and fisherman, he enjoys sharing the fruits of his labour in a deliciously cooked meal along with friends, while discussing his trips.
Sylvain hopes that God will enable him to pursue his involvement in the midst of the Fondation des Oeuvres Internationales for many years to come.
Diane Deslongchamps, Administrative assistant
Born in 1959 at the misericorde orphanage in Montreal and adopted three weeks later, Diane was raised in Laval while she was still very young. She started to study classical music and spent a good part of her childhood and teen years playing the piano. When time came for her to go to college she chose to study modern languages and pursued these studies until university. In 1979, she married Serge and stared her family.
After the birth of her first two children, she decided to return to school to study nursing. She graduated while pregnant with her third child and the following year she had her fourth child. In 1989, she and her family joined La Bible Parle church, and are still active members today. It is with this church in 1999, that she went on her first humanitarian mission. During these years, she combined both being a nurse and a pastoral secretary.
Since 2004 she has been the administrative assistant for the Foundation, she primarily works on the child sponsorship in Haiti. It is also in 2004 that she found her biological mother, three sisters and one brother, with whom she enjoys spending time.
She considers it a great privilege for her to be able to serve God through her work. She also has a very active life with her husband Serge and her four children and several grandchildren. She enjoys sharing diner with family and friends.
Serge Gagnon, Treasurer
Born in Montreal in 1949, Serge is the third child in a family of six. He studied at Laval College and continued his studies at the Institute Alie for a year in accounting.
Serge specialized in promotional products and corporate gifts (family business). Serge is very active and athletic; he has done six marathons. He still trains five times a week, this is a lifestyle for him, and he also is an avid golfer.
Serge has been married to Francyne for several years and is the father of three children.
Serge has been a member of the Foundation for ten years and assumes the position of treasurer.
Rafik Zikry, Special projects
Born in Cairo (Egypt) in 1954 in a Christian family, Rafik was raised in a Muslim society. Having attended through out his studies French schools of Christian faith and then an American university for courses in psychology, Rafik realized early on the moral abyss that separated him from the Egyptian society. This helps him in accepting with great enthusiasm the idea of immigrating to Canada.
In 1977 following his marriage to Maryse they left Egypt. He begins teaching hotel management and customer service at LaSalle College and Concordia University. Through his own company he organizes formation seminars and works as a consultant to hotel managers.
In the midst of the Foundation he enjoys working along side other business men and women that are dedicated in helping to alleviate poverty.
Rafik will be celebrating his thirty-first wedding anniversary and is the father of two boys. Over the years he has acquired an elaborate library due to his insatiable desire for learning. He uses the information that he acquired by translating it into action with the help of his family and professional entourage.
Serge Deslongchamps, Membership
Born in 1955, Serge spent the majority of his life in Laval. He is the third in a family of five children. Serge began classical guitar lessons in his teens. A few years later in 1975, he accepted Christ as his Saviour, and from this moment his life was transformed. It was at that moment that they discovered he had a gift for evangelism. He has been married to Diane for over 30 years and is the father of four children. He also has several grand children.
Serge works in marketing for micro-franchises. He joined the board of directors of the Foundation in 2007.