National Volunteer Week, Canada’s largest celebration of volunteerism and civic participation, is April 12 through 18th. Albertans have a rich history of volunteering and community involvement, and have been celebrating National Volunteer Week for more than 20 years. Tip of the hat, Alberta! As the Community Engagement Coordinator at the YWCA of Calgary, I have [...]
“Is that the one where people sleep on cots?” We hear this question a lot in lead up to our annual fundraising event YWCA KEEP A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS®. The answer in short is, yes. It’s not our most glamorous event, but that’s sort of the point: experiencing one night “homeless” in a YWCA [...]
Cyberbullying, or the use of information technology to repeatedly and deliberately harass other people, is a relatively new term. Yet it has become such a common act since 1998 that we are already in need of a cultural intervention on a global scale. After being publicly silent for a decade, Monica Lewinsky has emerged as [...]
On the first day of spring, many of us are thinking about fresh starts, house cleaning and ideas for the garden that is yet to sprout. For many however, it is just another day when they have to face challenges that impact their ability to have a home to clean; a meal on the table; [...]
International Women’s Day is on Sunday, March 8, 2015. The first International Women's Day was observed on March 19, 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. More than one million women and men showed their support of women by participating in public events. In 1977 following the long-standing movements for women to participate equally [...]
Donalda Vine-Mutton, a long-time ambassador, alumnae and supporter of the YWCA, passed away on Friday, February 20, 2015 at 88 years of age. Donalda was connected to the YWCA for more than 60 years. In 1950, as a young single woman returning to Calgary after a year working overseas in the United Kingdom, Donalda realized [...]
Imagine calling up 130 of your best feminist lady-friends from across the nation and heading off to Southern Ontario for a weekend of growth, learning, and sharing. Recently I had the pleasure of doing just that at the first YWCA Canada National Young Women’s Leadership Summit in Muskoka, Ontario, on traditional Rama Territory. As one [...]
Each year when Valentine’s Day arrives, the deeper meaning of the day is often lost in chocolates and flowers. But when the chocolate is eaten and the roses wilted, you might want to consider if your relationship is healthy. A healthy relationship should feel good. It should add value to your life and bring more [...]
Yesterday, millions gathered around their television sets to cheer for their favourite football team, eat junk food, and enjoy the Super Bowl. While Canadians did not see the same, highly anticipated commercials during the game as those across the border, some have been so talked about that many have searched them out on YouTube and [...]
As the 2014 holiday season comes to a close, the YWCA is grateful for a total of $648,000 in cash donations and the many gift-in-kind donations we received to support vulnerable women and their children. Gift-in-kind donations included; 725 pairs of pajamas donated by Spectra Energy, which will keep women and children in a YWCA [...]
