“There is pain here. There is loss:” Working on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic
By Racheal Walser I wrapped her dolls carefully. Each, in a new baby blanket. I wrapped it around their waists, tucked the blanket under their arms, and gently slipped them into a cardboard box. This is the way Melissa liked to wrap her dolls. Each of them her baby. She would have whispered sweet things […]
A thank you to shelter workers from our CEO
Without our shelter workers, the YW Kitchener-Waterloo couldn’t continue to provide people experiencing homelessness with a warm place to go. For them, we are so grateful. Watch this special video message from our CEO Elizabeth Clarke, to our shelter workers. Thank you shelter workers for everything you do and for making it possible to […]
How to give charitably through COVID-19 this holiday season
Photo by Kim Stiver Written by Shantal Otchere 2020 has been an exercise in managing perpetual levels of stress and confusion. Since the coronavirus first swept across the world earlier this year, prompting shutdown after shutdown in each city it encountered, we have had to adjust and adapt our daily routines accordingly. For many of us, […]
YW Supporter Spotlight: Mike Farwell
There isn’t an industry that hasn’t been affected by COVID-19, and the nonprofit sector has been hit particularly hard. As a result of the pandemic, demand for services has increased exponentially. The social distancing guidelines and shelter-in-place regulations have forced us to cancel or postpone events and drastically rethink our fundraising efforts. We rely on […]
Our A.R. Kaufman YMCA Temporary Shelter is closing
After over three months of providing those in need with a safe place to go during COVID-19, on June 28, 2020, our A.R. Kaufman YMCA Temporary Shelter will be closing its doors. Partnership has never been more important than in these unprecedented times, where the rapid economic downturn has led to a spike in demand […]
Working on the frontline: Finding beauty in a time of coronavirus
By Racheal Walser There is a tree outside of my new workplace. There are a dozen other sticks and twigs that did not come from that tree but were put there by a client. It’s a little quirky looking, this bunch of mismatched twigs and branches, tied to the tree with a rope, or cable, […]
After COVID let’s never get back to normal
By: Elizabeth Clarke Right now, everyone working in the homelessness sector – including countless health, social service and municipal workers who don’t ordinarily work in the industry but who’ve been redeployed there for the duration of the pandemic – is focused on the COVID response. We aren’t looking more than a few days – or […]
Here’s what each province is doing about rents during the COVID-19 crisis
Illness and joblessness are just two of the new realities faced by many Canadians across the country. Now, amid mass lay-offs affecting a staggering 44 per cent of Canadian households, rental dues could spell further financial disaster for Canadian families. So what are officials doing about it? Sweeping job loss brought on by the growing […]
The YW Kitchener-Waterloo is officially operating an essential service. Now is a crucial time to give
For our frontline service providers working from home isn’t an option. As Canadian governments continue to enforce further measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 across the country, from stay-at-home orders to shuttering businesses, for our devoted staff of frontline workers, every day is still business as usual. And it is for this dedication that […]
COVID-19 response and challenges
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we will work hard to respond to the changing circumstances and reassess situations through direction we receive from Waterloo Region Public Health experts. We will provide regular updates about our services while ensuring the health and safety of our staff, residents and the community at large. Emergency Shelter: we […]
