Clarity creates action

Overall Impact

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INDIVIDUALS SERVED

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INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED

Action and innovation ensure women and their families continue to benefit from YW programs and services, as does the larger community through connections with those who find support and opportunities at YW.  

Last year we had a measurable impact on more than 6,000 individuals through direct program delivery across our three focus areas of mental health, domestic violence and economic prosperity. 

Thanks to forward thinking program development, a new practice framework and refreshed mission and vision in 2021 this number is 13% higher than the previous year.  

We estimate our work impacted an additional 18,000 individuals.  

MENTAL HEALTH

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INDIVIDUALS SERVED

In our post-pandemic world, the topic of mental wellness is ever present; it impacts our work, our families, our relationships, and our future.  

In 2022, more than 3,300 individuals accessed mental health supports at YW. In our participant impact survey, 95% of participants reported they felt more hopeful for the future after being involved with YW programs.

YW continues to drive energy into prevention focused programs that help build skills and provide tools that help manage mental wellness before it becomes a crisis.

YW COMPASS program saw over 100 children and their families, helping them access the support they needed to create a healthy future

Maya was a single parent with a six-year-old son Leon who was becoming increasingly aggressive in school and at home. Maya looked for support for her son and was referred to the YW COMPASS program.

Together with the COMPASS counsellors the family started a journey and learned calming practices and routines to develop new boundaries and find healthy ways for Leon to express his feelings. Leon began to heal, his aggressive behavior stopped, and his negative mood lifted.

“I’d really like to thank the COMPASS program and staff for coming to our rescue when we really didn’t know what to do or how to help Leon.”

Maya and Leon |COMPASS

Mindful Moments supported almost 150 children to gain mindfulness skills and cope with difficult situations.

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MORE FAMILIES SUPPORTED IN
MINDFUL MOMENTS

In 2022, YW added the only LENA Start program in Canada to our array of prevention-focused offerings. LENA promotes healthy, nurturing relationships through early language development and positive parent-child interactions.

In its first year, 70 parents & caregivers along with 53 young children had the opportunity to learn talk, talk-back skills, build a strong bond and establish patterns that will promote learning and healthy relationship development for a lifetime. 

“I wanted to develop my baby’s ability to speak more. I found great support with LENA, and we got results! I saw the progress, how many words my child said week after week. I learned to be more mindful and intentional in interacting with my daughter, incorporating more language and talking into our routine. It was a growth process for both of us.”

Mila | LENA program

YW Counselling programs for women, children & men activate deep expertise that improves mental health through group or individual supports. 

In 2022, over 500 individuals increased their emotional regulation and improved mental well-being.  

“After several attempts to leave an abuse relationship, including one that landed me in the hospital I was referred to YW to start counselling. I knew I needed help. YW change my life, I started to think differently, the group was a good support, and it was a learning experience too. Thank you for saving my life and teach me how to save myself.”

Hanna | Counselling

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

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INDIVIDUALS SERVED

YW has been providing both crisis and prevention supports for women & their children experiencing domestic violence for over four decades. 

In 2022, YW provided services to over 4,000 individuals who experienced or were at risk of experiencing domestic violence. After being involved with YW, 91% of respondents on our participant impact survey said they felt safe in their relationships. 

YW’s array of programs not only meet the immediate needs of women & their children but also provide follow up supports and prevention-focused programs designed to help build strong relationships and healthy families.  

YW Sheriff King Home supported over 500 women and children in 2022. 

“I was raised in a cycle of abuse from when I was little. I felt like my life was a prison, that there was no way I could ever get out.

The first program I attended at YW was a support group. There I learned a lot about what abuse was and I started to practice boundaries – but things got worse in my relationship.

Finally, I walked into YW Sheriff King Home one day and found a counsellor to talk to who connected me with an Outreach worker. Then I knew I had a team backing me up for the first time in my life and I was able to start over and begin a new, safe life.”

Angela | YW Sheriff King Home

 

Need for shelter and crisis supports continues to outpace capacity. However, not all women and families need to access shelter and the support they need for their unique experiences. 

Through YW Outreach Services, over 500 individuals impacted by domestic violence increased their safety and were helped to achieve stability in the community. 

Despite the valuable impact outreach services offer, we know the need for safe shelter remains high. YW, in partnership with FearIsNotLove and their community partners are working to tackle this ongoing issue with the ShelterLink project

This project will develop a collaborative, multi-disciplinary system of support for women and their families fleeing domestic violence. This will ensure someone whose risk requires shelter is offered shelter, and those whose risk can be managed in the community are offered alternate and accessible community-based services.

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

YW’s Economic Prosperity strategy took many strides forward in 2022. This work became much more established at YW, and the clarity gained in 2021 meant even more women accessed the learning opportunities to build skills in financial literacy, stability, and opportunities to prosper. 

YW supported over 1,900 individuals to increase their financial stability across multiple program areas. We saw a 17% increase in participants who said their financial situation was stable after their involvement with YW. 

Amelie had been struggling to manage her finances and was unable to provide for her three children. She received financial counselling and learned that she could have money for her retirement, save to visit her family out of Calgary and even buy gifts for her three children at Christmas.

Amelie is proud of what she has learned at YW. She feels far less stressed about her finances and has been able to maintain housing, a monthly debt repayment plan, monthly contributions towards her RRSP accounts and is saving for emergencies

Theresa | Financial Literacy

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For many families, access to high quality, affordable childcare means parents can fully participate in work or school while their children explore the world of healthy play and learning.
In 2022, thanks for funding opportunities through the Government of Alberta, YW was able to increase capacity of our childcare centre and grow enrolment of YW Kids (new brand of YW’s Childcare Centre).

From the days of meeting young women at the train station over a century ago, to offer housing, to today where it is more than just a roof over your head, YW Transitional Housing helps women move from a place of instability to a place where they have choice and opportunity to thrive.  

In 2022, over 300 adults had safe housing, learned to increase their financial stability through targeted case management work and developed sustainable skills to prosper in the community. 

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MORE FAMILIES ENROLLED IN YW KIDS

“Stable, quality care allows me to easily go to work and know my child is in great hands! When I was laid off from work it was very difficult to find a job – trying to juggle parenting and job applications was not easy, I was struggling between erratic job interviews and the need to have childcare lined up to be able to accept a job. I am grateful your childcare has staff that are trained and have a passion for young children! It was also helpful for my mental health.”

Sarah | YW Kids

 

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Our expertise in supporting the immediate and long-term needs of women and their families provides the foundation from which we can provide deep and lasting impact. Alongside this, fostering an environment where YW employees and everyone in the community feel respected, included and valued is critical. 

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion is a key strategic area of focus for the organization and continues to gain moment. To hear more about this important work, please listen to this update from our new EDI Manager, Beng Reyes-Ong.

Message from the CEO

Over the past 12 years as CEO of this incredible organization I have witnessed first-hand the growth and evolution of YW Calgary to rise and meet the ever-changing needs of women, families, and the community. Throughout this remarkable journey, we have faced challenges, from floods to pandemics that tested our resilience and demanded swift adaptation. We continue to emerge stronger, and I am thrilled to share some of the incredible milestones achieved by our organization and the dedicated individuals who work and volunteer here. 

The past year has been marked by significant achievements, fueled by the clarity of our strategic focus areas and the inspired action they have ignited. Our childcare team experienced a transformative expansion, rebranding as YW Kids and creating new spaces within the Hub. This expansion, coupled with our relentless advocacy for affordable childcare in Alberta, enabled us to provide enriching options and exceptional care to nearly 150 children. 

Additionally, we unveiled the new Family Resource Network (FRN) room in the Hub last fall, offering our team more space to support families through a diverse range of programs aimed at enhancing healthy family bonds. Along with the growth in FRN we were honored to be selected as one of Calgary Reads’ Dandelion partners, bringing LENA into our portfolio. To date, 18 cohorts and a total of 145 families have benefited, and we look forward to supporting many more in the future. 

Our commitment to prevention was also illustrated through the Women’s Economic Prosperity program, which experienced exponential growth. We forged exciting partnerships with community organizations, hosting virtual and in-person events and a brand-new partnership to introduce Healthy Relationships programming into several Calgary schools, empowering young people with valuable knowledge and skills. 

We are thrilled to witness the return of our programs and activities to live and in-person experiences at our Hub building. This year, we hosted memorable events such as our first-ever Stampede Breakfast for staff and clients, the post-COVID restart of Rose & Croquet in collaboration with our neighbours at Deane House, and our largest and most successful YWHISPER Gala to date, featuring Gloria Allred as our keynote speaker. 

The energy within our YW Fitness Centre and Community Spaces has also been palpable, with growing fitness memberships and increased utilization of our Community Kitchen and rooms for meetings and events. 

In January, we opened our first purpose-built affordable housing building for women and their families as part of the YW Sheriff King Home Redevelopment. Already, the sound of children’s laughter fills the halls as families begin to build new lives in our community. The construction of the new YW Sheriff King Home remains on track to open its doors this summer. Designed with a trauma-informed approach, this project will enable us to support more women and children escaping domestic abuse while removing barriers by allowing their pets to join them at the shelter and in housing. 

These achievements, showcased in our annual report, are a testament to the power of clarity and its ability to drive action. They are the result of the unwavering dedication and expertise of our entire YW team, supported by our remarkable Board of Directors. 

I invite you to delve into our full annual report and discover more about the profound impact of our work and the lives we touch. On behalf of the entire organization, I extend my deepest gratitude for your continued generous support of YW Calgary. Without our supporters, donors, partners, community, and above all, our knowledgeable and dedicated employees, none of this would be possible. 

Sue Tomney 

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Chief Executive Officer,
YW Calgary