When Susan* first came to YSM she was living in a rooming house with many others, sleeping on the floor. Growing up in foster homes, Susan had experienced multiple traumas and received one consistent message: she wasn’t and would never be worth anything. Feeling alone and unvalued, Susan would arrive
For many of us, Christmas 2020 was like nothing we’ve experienced. However, for many in our community, the feeling of isolation during holidays is not new. Compounded with the financial impacts of the pandemic, we knew this Christmas would be extra challenging for many neighbours. With your generous support, however,
In 1896, John ‘Hallelujah’ Coolidge Davis founded Yonge Street Mission to support and serve Torontonians experiencing poverty, by offering food and giving out Bibles from the back of a horse-pulled wagon which travelled up and down Yonge Street. 125 years later YSM is still here, responding to the needs of
Written by Angie Peters, President & CEO of YSM 166 days before I was born, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the pulpit in Riverside Church in New York City and said these words: “A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of
Evergreen Centre had just opened its doors for another day of providing essential supports and services to street-involved youth, when an unexpected visitor arrived. A large man, clearly agitated, began aggressively banging on the doors of the centre demanding food. Although he was older than youth served at Evergreen, YSM
Sharon first interacted with YSM through fabric shopping at our Double Take thrift store while teaching teen girls in Regent Park sewing and how to create up-cycled crafts. Frequent return trips connected her with Kathy, Double Take’s then Manager, who commissioned Sharon to create a wall hanging for the store.
In 1983 Rick was living in his beloved Atlantic Canada, with no intention of leaving. Yet, because of YSM’s persistent leadership, Rick agreed to move to Toronto and join the team as Director of the Evergreen Centre. Just two years later, Rick began to re-focus Evergreen to address the needs
Every year, as the temperature drops and leaves begin to fall, community members, volunteers, donors and staff eagerly anticipate our annual Toy Market. It presents an opportunity for families to obtain high quality, meaningful gifts for their children and is a source of joy for all who encounter it! Thanks
5-ing COVID-19 was founded by David, a second year undergraduate in Medical Sciences. His student-led nonprofit aims to “go the extra mile” in support of front-line workers during the COVID pandemic. “When my research internship for medical school was postponed, I felt ‘silenced’ by the pandemic,” said David. “I
Project Northern Lights is a grassroots network stretching across Canada. Organized at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown, the group aims to develop and deliver open-source, community-based solutions to struggling Canadian communities. Their group includes volunteer makers, sewers, students, developers, artists, farmers, engineers, and health care professionals who came together
“The HOPE program is going to help me have a foundation. I want to do better for my mom, but I also want to do better for me,” said Kevin, one of eight recent graduates of YSM’s HOPE (Helping Offenders on Probation Excel) program. “Everyone can say they love themselves,
Lila* had been living in a shelter for 6 months after moving to Toronto. Working in restaurants when she could, Lila was looking for stable employment, “I needed a job – anything”, she says. “One day [when I went to the library to look for jobs] I saw YSM across
Over recent months we’ve all seen increased instability within our communities. With fewer services available and many losing stable employment, YSM saw an influx of neighbours seeking healthy food to sustain themselves and their families. Pre-COVID, YSM’s Food Bank served about 600 people a week, but from March through August
Since the beginning of YSM’s modified COVID service plan in March, YSM’s Tree of Life Homework Club staff had been connecting weekly with 41 children, and their families, all of whom were looking forward to a new camp experience this summer. With the city moving to stage 2 re-opening, and
Since 1883, St. John Ambulance has been teaching first aid and CPR, as well as volunteering in communities across Canada. “This is what we do – we don’t only save lives, we change them”, says Elvis, Chief of St. John Ambulance Central Toronto. When YSM reached out for help, Elvis
