Service d'entraide Basse-Ville

What Service d'entraide Basse-Ville does

Service d'entraide Basse-Ville (SEBV) is a non-profit community organization founded on September 29, 1971, in Quebec City, Canada. Operating in the Basse-Ville neighborhood with a 6-person staff, SEBV serves 14,000 to 17,000 clients annually, primarily low-income and vulnerable populations. The organization delivers a multi-channel service portfolio that includes La Boîte à Fripes (a thrift store processing 22,239 transactions in 2024 at an average basket of about $10), Popote Roulante (meals-on-wheels at $6 per meal, delivered three times weekly), bi-weekly food distribution, Frigo-partage (community fridges), a community garden (Potager), Le Grenier à Meubles (free furniture for low-income families), an Atelier de Couture (sewing workshop), the Voisins Solidaires community program, and emergency food assistance. There is no proprietary technology or AI capability; service delivery depends on physical retail, logistics, and human-centered operations.

SEBV operates on a hybrid revenue model. Approximately 30% of revenue is self-financing through thrift store and furniture sales, 23% comes from the Government of Quebec, 17% from Centraide (United Way), and the remainder from foundations, religious congregations, individual donations, and corporate contributions. The organization states that approximately $230,000 must be collected annually to sustain operations. Recent strategic moves include the 2020 launch of Frigo-partage, the 2022 community garden expansion, the 2023 rebrand of Le Grenier à Meubles, the May 2025 first price increase at La Boîte à Fripes in over a decade, and the annual Tombola Altalex fundraising lottery. The organization also participates in the Coopérative de solidarité BAL, signaling deeper integration into Quebec City's community-organization ecosystem.

Name

Service d'entraide Basse-Ville

Legal name

Service d'entraide Basse-Ville

Website

https://sebv.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Service d'entraide Basse-Ville (SEBV) is a Quebec City non-profit founded in 1971 that serves 14,000-17,000 low-income clients annually through thrift store, meals-on-wheels, food distribution, community fridges, furniture, and community-building programs, financed by government grants, Centraide, and self-generated sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers) (BPADAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Food security programs
• Affordable thrift retail
• Furniture redistribution assistance
• Meals on wheels delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Québec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales (Thrift Store and Furniture): La Boîte à Fripes thrift store and Le Grenier à Meubles generate revenue through sales of donated clothing, accessories, and furniture. The thrift store averages $10 per basket and conducts approximately 22,239 transactions annually. These sales provide self-financing of approximately 30% of the organization's annual operating budget.
2. Government Funding: The Government of Quebec contributes approximately 23% of the organization's annual funding, while Centraide (United Way) contributes 17%. Additional government support comes from CIUSSS, Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité Sociale, Emploi et développement social Canada, and Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux.
3. Individual and Corporate Donations: Donations in money, time, and materials from individuals and corporations. The organization must collect nearly $230,000 annually from donations and self-generated revenue to provide essential services at very low or no cost to vulnerable populations.
4. Foundation and Institutional Grants: Support from various foundations including Fondation Québec Philanthrope, Fondation Frontenac, Fondation Maurice Tanguay, Fonds SVP Thérèse et André Gingras, and various religious congregations (Congrégation Notre-Dame, Soeurs de la Charité de Québec, etc.).
5. Fundraising Events: Annual tombolas such as the Tombola Altalex generate significant funds. The 2026 Tombola Altalex offers prizes worth $10,750 total across 10 lots, with ticket sales supporting the organization's mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Service d'entraide Basse-Ville (SEBV) is a non-profit community organization that delivers food security programs (Popote Roulante meals-on-wheels at $6, bi-weekly food distribution, emergency food assistance, community fridge-partage, community garden), affordable clothing through its La Boîte à Fripes thrift store, free or low-cost furniture redistribution via Le Grenier à Meubles, a sewing workshop (Atelier de Couture), and the Voisins Solidaires neighborhood solidarity program to vulnerable residents of Quebec City's Basse-Ville district.

Product overview

Service d'entraide Basse-Ville (SEBV) is a community organization offering multiple social services through distinct programs: La Boîte à Fripes (thrift store), Services Alimentaires (food services including popote roulante, food distribution, and community garden), Grenier à Meubles (furniture redistribution), Atelier de Couture (sewing workshop), Voisins Solidaires (community solidarity), and Tombola (annual fundraiser). These services work together to support vulnerable populations in the Saint-Sauveur neighborhood of Quebec City.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Boîte à Fripes: The thrift shop of the Service d'entraide Basse-Ville, redistributing donated goods to the population. Its mission is to offer a diverse range of accessible items at low prices, with the slogan 'Grandes trouvailles, petits prix' (Big finds, small prices).
• Le Grenier à Meubles
• Voisins Solidaires

Products and services

• La Boîte à Fripes (Thrift Store) Affordable thrift store that resells donated clothing, accessories, and household items at low prices (~$10 average basket), generating self-financing of approximately 30% of SEBV's operating budget. Open to the general community with 22,239 transactions recorded in 2024.
• Popote Roulante (Meals on Wheels) Home-delivered complete meal (soup, salad, main course, and dessert) for $6, delivered three times per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) to seniors, convalescents, and people with loss of autonomy living in Quebec City.
• Distribution Alimentaire (Food Distribution) Bi-weekly Friday food distribution at SEBV headquarters for households of the Saint-Sauveur neighborhood, by appointment. Reserved for residents with proof of residence.
• Dépannage Alimentaire d'Urgence (Emergency Food Assistance)

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Moisson QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoisson Québec provides food surplus that SEBV distributes through its fridge-partage initiative, helping reduce food waste while addressing food insecurity.
• Québec solidairescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Voisins Solidaires initiative, collaborating on the moving squad (Escouade de déménagement/limonade solidaire) to welcome new residents to the Saint-Sauveur neighborhood.
• Concertation Saint-SauveurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community coalition that initiated the fridge-partage program in June 2020. SEBV actively participates in this initiative to reduce food waste and address food insecurity.
• Collectif FardochesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the community garden/vegetable patch initiative along with SEBV and Concertation Saint-Sauveur. Located at the Tourne-sol community garden.
• Les Habitations vivre chez soisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing organization collaborating with SEBV on composting activities.
• Petite MerceriesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAriane from Petite Mercerie provides sewing classes at SEBV every Wednesday, teaching community members how to use sewing machines and create their own projects.
• Café Saint-SuavesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal café partnering with Voisins Solidaires for community events such as plant exchanges. Located at 440 Charest O. and accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Accueil Bonneau: Montreal-based emergency and community services organization serving people experiencing homelessness and poverty with food, basic necessities, and reintegration support. Directly comparable to SEBV's emergency food assistance and community solidarity mandate.
• La Maison du Père: Long-standing Montreal community organization providing food, housing, and social support services to vulnerable and homeless individuals. Operates a similar multi-service model combining food assistance, basic-needs redistribution, and community reintegration programs.
• Moisson Québec: Regional food bank serving the Quebec City area that supplies SEBV's frigo-partage program with surplus food. Both organizations address food insecurity through in-kind food distribution to vulnerable populations, making their operational models directly comparable.
• Banques alimentaires du Québec: Provincial network coordinating Quebec's regional food banks and community food programs. Directly comparable to SEBV's food distribution and fridge-partage operations, both targeting food insecurity through community-based redistribution.
• Goodwill Industries: Non-profit thrift retailer and workforce development organization with operations in Quebec. Highly comparable to SEBV's La Boîte à Fripes and Grenier à Meubles model of redistributing donated goods to generate self-financing revenue for mission-driven programs.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA Québec: Established community services organization offering community programming, food services, and youth/family support across Quebec. Comparable to SEBV in its multi-service, community-led approach to addressing social needs at the neighborhood level.
• Food Banks Canada: National umbrella organization representing Canada's food bank network. Operates at a much larger scale but addresses the same fundamental mission of food security through community-based assistance, making it a relevant industry reference point.
• Salvation Army Quebec: National/international charitable organization offering food banks, thrift stores, furniture/household assistance, and community programs across Quebec. Operates a broader portfolio than SEBV but overlaps significantly on meals-on-wheels, thrift retail, and emergency relief services.
• Société Saint-Vincent-de-Paul: National Catholic charitable organization operating food assistance, furniture/household aid, and emergency support programs across Quebec. Highly comparable service mix to SEBV including in-kind redistribution of goods to vulnerable families.

Emerging players

• Regroupement des cuisines collectives du Québec: Quebec network of community kitchens offering collective cooking and food security programming. Comparable to SEBV's community kitchen and food distribution activities, with a similar focus on empowering low-income participants through food-related skills and access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/servicedentraidebasseville
• Facebookfacebook.com/servicedentraidebasseville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/servicedentraidebasseville
• Instagraminstagram.com/laboiteafripes

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Service d'entraide Basse-Ville