Dear YWCA Muskoka Supporters,

As I write this, the youth program facilitators are meeting as a team, sharing highlights and challenges in Girlz Unplugged and Quest school-based programs - what they’re hearing from the kids, what school staff are identifying as greatest needs. Newcomer women have been coming into our classroom twice weekly. At YWCA they have found a place where they feel comfortable gathering to further their English language skills. One woman brings her sleeping baby in a stroller. They laugh and chat quietly together about shared experiences; most have left countries experiencing conflict. The phone rings and our office administrator responds, speaking to a woman about the Muskoka National Emergency Survivor Support (NESS) Fund. This woman is taking a courageous step to escape a violent home situation and YWCA will help her with immediate financial relief to move and secure a safer place to live.

This is work that sometimes flies under the radar of community headlines. It’s ongoing and developmental and work not easily explained in a few sentences. It’s about prevention, building economic resilience, building relationships and doing it with trauma-informed care. This is the work that truly makes a long term impact. 

As we come to the end of 2024, the demand for YWCA services continues to grow. We strive to be as resilient and resourceful as the people we serve, despite the systemic lack of core government funding for charitable services. We are asking for your support now so we can continue to educate, advocate and lead. Donations fuel people with ideas and energy for our mission to make a difference in our communities. Your gift to YWCA Muskoka has built-in power to make something happen.

There’s no such thing as Small Change.  Our goal is to raise $25,000 by the new year.

Here’s what your donation could make happen:

• $50: Fuel a growing ESL conversation group for newcomers to Muskoka

• $100: Sponsor a weekly group meal for those who may live alone or struggle to put food on the table

• $350: Give a kid the chance to experience Girlz Unplugged or Quest over 12 weeks with a facilitator skilled in active listening

• $1000: Help a woman leave intimate partner violence