Message from Sonya Fraser
Chair, YMCA Board of Directors
You are the backbone of how we help community at the YMCA. Our donors at all levels are expanding our impact across the province in Child Care, Camps, Employment, Immigration, and Health & Wellbeing, and after 170 years of serving Halifax, we continue to be touched by your support.
The YMCA was hard at work in 2022, actively delivering and building new opportunities for the community to engage and reconnect. We saw programs like Y Mind and Youth Transitions begin helping youth who need alternative health care options to be their best selves. We recognized that the need for financial assistance in our community has doubled in the last year and revamped our financial assistance program to make it more accessible. We remain committed to meeting the needs of Ukrainians, who arrived fleeing war and have put down new roots in our beautiful province of Nova Scotia. We renovated our beloved Community Y and have created more space for our children and youth to enjoy their after school programs! Your support has gone a long way and ensures that we deliver on our purpose of creating communities through a sense of belonging. This is only possible, thanks to donors like you.
The last year brought us renewed hope. With the help of those who believe in our mission, we were able to make a difference in the lives of all people who find our Y. Thank you for being part of our mission, and an active member of our community.
With Gratitude,
Sonya Fraser
Chair, Board of Directors
YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth
Creating a Sense of Belonging
Your impact in numbers
313 Donors
Helped us meet our fundraising goals to sustain our YMCA programs and services across the province
1,583 people received financial assistance
To access essential services and a sense of community.
$1,344,470 in funding from Grant and Foundations
allowed us to sustain existing and start new programs, so that we continue to evolve and meet the needs of our communities.
$26,800 in scholarships
helped 7 young YMCA leaders who are students pay for post-secondary education.
$654,952 was donated
by individuals, companies, and other community organizations to support access to our YMCA's life-enhancing programs and services.
YMCA staff donated over $12,000
back to our charity via payroll deductions, dedicating their time, talent, and treasure to our mission!
Foundation and Grant Support
Thank you to the following funders, who have made contributions to the YMCA’s programs, services, and facilities in 2022 to keep up our charitable work in the community:
- Community Foundations of Canada
- Community Foundation of Nova Scotia
- Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
- Public Health Agency of Canada
- Employment and Social Development Canada
- Canadian Tire Jump Start
- ScotiaBank
- McCall MacBain Foundation
- Windsor Foundation
- Halifax Youth Foundation
- Krista Grant Foundation
- Department of Community Services
Donor Profile: Ginny Salsman
83 years ago, Virginia Salsman made her first gift to our YMCA at only 10 years old. Ginny grew up in Wolfville with her mother and father, and started her first job babysitting at the young age of 10. Her father, a man who supported the YMCA himself, instilled in her the value of giving back to community through the YMCA.
“He told me that I should pick somewhere to give back to. We decided on 10% of my earnings, and I gave it to the Y.”
Since then, she’s made gifts throughout her whole life on an annual basis to sustain the YMCA as a charity in the community. Ginny went on to become an accountant for John Lindsay Sr., who became an incredible Y Champion through his own health journey.
“I would go around to all the workers, because I was the accountant, and ask everyone in the company how much they wanted to donate to the YMCA from their paycheck, you know? Because it was important to John, it was important to us.”
Ginny was encouraged by John to start exercising at the YMCA. She met many friends in our programs. She’s still in touch with some of them to this day, and plans to continue to support the YMCA for years to come.
“The Y is such a lovely place for young people to grow and learn. If I were to ask someone to donate to the Y, I’d tell them about the people I helped there.”
Watch Ginny tell her Y Story, here!
Everyone Has a Story Campaign
Y Stories from our Community
Thanks to the hundreds of community members who believed in our “Everyone Has a Story” Campaign, our YMCA was able to meet our goal of raising $100,000 to sustain our charitable programs and services! With Cliff & Jill Langin’s matching gift, every person who donated to our mission made double the impact. We were able to hear from the community and tell Y Stories of resilience, making friends, becoming great leaders, and exploring new opportunities. Even our volunteers got in on telling their Y Stories!
Check out our Campaign video below, featuring YMCA members Lorna, Adrius, and Midya to hear their Y Stories!
“Growing up I had fond memories of spending Saturday mornings in Moncton at the gym and swim program. I went on to become a volunteer fitness instructor. As a new parent living in Oshawa, both children attended the child care program and learned to swim while I was able to make meaningful connections with other parents. Wherever life has taken me, including Halifax just over a decade ago, the Y has been part of my story and made every community feel like home.”
– Patty Faith, YMCA Board Member & Volunteer
YMCA Program Feature:
Youth Transitions Program
Youth Transitions Program (YTP) is a free program at the YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth for youth ages 12-18. The goal is to help guide and transition youth to the next stage of their life, no matter what that may be, and to help youth grow and become the best versions of themselves.
Since YTP started in September 2022, over 300 youth have attended, and this number is growing every week! Most participants find YTP through workshops offered at local schools. Thanks to the workshops, the YTP Leaders have built great relationships with the youth and have successfully enrolled an increasing number of students into the full program.
YTP program is currently offered at Cunard Junior High and Oxford School, where YTP staff provide support 4-5 time a week. The YMCA staff has successfully built mutually beneficial relationships with the schools, and hope to continue and grow the program as the year goes on.
YTP Leaders are in the process of onboarding volunteers for the mentorship component of the program. YTP is growing every day. Our Youth Support Workers are very close to capacity for their one-on-one case load and are getting new referrals from the schools every week. The YMCA is excited to see the impact the program has for youth!
O'Neil Barton
Youth Support Worker for the YMCA’s Youth Transitions Program
“Our first lunch time workshop we had 25+ students attend at both schools. Now when we come in, we see youth run up to us and ask if they can work with us today, or if they can stay and hang with them at lunch time. I have seen youth who at the beginning had very little confidence in themselves start to thrive. School faculty are telling us they are seeing improvement with the youth we are working with and want us in the schools more. We are very lucky to have the opportunity to work with such a great group of people from youth, teachers, principals, and more, and I’m grateful to see the impact we are making on the youth firsthand everyday.”
Julie Laginnasse
Youth Support Worker for the YMCA’s Youth Transitions Program
“Youth Transitions Program is working to help youth learn life skills, get past barriers, and see a positive future. With all the after effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the challenges which youth were already facing have been compounded. The impact I see each day in YTP is that youth can break out of harmful habits and connect with their goals and find hope. They keep coming back and reaching out because they can see the positive effect of adults who listen and care.”
Charities helping each other
Second Harvest & Operation Warm
As a charity and community partner, we at the YMCA know that we cannot do it alone. Working together, with community organizations, and other local, national, and international charities, allows us to make a BIG impact on people who access the Y. In April 2022, the YMCA was incredibly fortunate to distribute 300 children’s winter coats from Operation Warm and grocery gift cards from Second Harvest, to help our community members at the YMCA Centre for Immigrant Programs.
“Seeing the children’s eyes light up when they realized they could pick out their own coat… it was incredibly heartwarming. Behind them, their parents were being given grocery gift cards to help with rising food costs, with tears in their eyes. I loved finding each kid the perfect jacket, with colours that they loved and the perfect fit! I felt relieved that they would have warm clothes for the rest of our harsh Nova Scotia winter.”
– YMCA Staff
Thank you, to all community partners, non-profits, and charities that help the YMCA make a difference in our communities.
Click Here to see our 2022 Donors
Thank you for helping us build a brighter future across Nova Scotia
902 Man Up
Aidan Kometz
Alasdair Syme
Alden Gibbon
Alexandria Samson
Alice Samson
Allie MacEachern
AllSteel Coatings Ltd.
Alma Tower
Amy Mui
Andrea Banks
Andrew Boswell
Andrew MacNeil
Anna Hutchinson
Anna Migas
Anne-Marie Curtis
Anthony Finch
Arlynne McGrath
Arthritis and Injury Care Centre Atlantic Inc
Arthur J. Gallagher Canada Ltd.
Barry Furlotte
Benjamin Tucker
Bert Hartnell
Betty Crombie
Betty Muggah
Bimla Rana
Black Educator’s Association
BMO Bank of Montreal
Robert Mussett
Brenda Duplisea
Brenda Reid
Brett Macdonald
Brian Jessop
Brian Posavad
Brian Titus
Brianna Cromwell
Brooke Robinson
Campbell Comeau Engineering Limited
Carole McDougall
Catherine B Lazier
Catherine d’Anjou
Catriona Eleftheros
Charles Bowers
Charlotte Baker
CHKN CHOP Inc.
Chris Enns
Christine Eisenhauer
Christine James
Christine Nault
Christine Tompkins
Christopher Cox
Christopher Wilson
Claire Rillie
Claudia Dembeck
Cliff & Jill Langin
Clockwork Communications Inc.
Cobequid Educational Centre
Common Good Solutions Inc.
Community Foundations of Canada
Coral van Vessem
Craig Peacock
Creignish Seafarers Limited
Dale Roode
Dan MacCormack
Dana Rideout
Daniel Campbell
Daniel Milner
Daniel Woo
David & Cheryl Murray
David Dobbelsteyn
Deborah & Vernon Murray Vandewater
Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute Inc.
Denis Ryan
Dennis Whelan
Destiny Green
Don Mills
Donny Fairfax
Dormie Golf Workshop Inc
Douglas Hill
Dr. Krista Jangaard
DSM Nutritional Products Canada Inc
Dwayne Coyle
Margaret Brookbank
Edith Lafleur
Elizabeth Townsend
Emmanuel Devred
Eric Siegel
Erin Devane
Ernst & Young LLP
Essence Mitchell
Eugenia Renderos
Faizullah Asadullah
Finn Wilson-Devane
Fiona Macintosh Robar
Fiona Polson
Forest Brain
Fred Fountain
Fred Honsberger
Gail Chaddock-Costello
Garity Chapman
Geebo
Genevieve Beed
George Rodger
George Waye
Gerald Felix
Gillian Scott
Gina Patterson
Gordon Morrison
Gordon Stanfield
Grace Elizabeth MacDonald
Halifax International Airport Authority
Halifax Regional Municipality
Halifax Youth Foundation
Hayley Jean Wallace
Heather Cumming
Heather Meldrum
Henry Schein Inc.
Hye Kim
Ian Hamilton
Ian Macarthur
Ian Manson
Michael Macdonald
Jacob Woods
James Blake
James MacGowan
Jason Blanch
Jason Wilson
Jay Collins
Jayne Roma
Jeff Woodhouse
Jennifer Berry
Jennifer Lohnes
Jennifer McKeane
Jennifer Organ
Jennifer Thornhill
Jeremy Lai
Joanna Holland
John Gillis
John Meagher
Jon Dyer
Jude Lamorre
Kailee Hominick
Karen Gardiner
Karen Peori
Katherine Rossiter
Kathryn Hull
Kathy Dillman-Smith
Keith Persaud
Kelly Lightfoot
Kevin Schwenker
Kirk MacCulloch
Lana Maclean
Laura Simpson
Laura Stiles-Clarke
Layla Rahmeh
Lindsay Melvin
Lindsey Oram
Line Goguen-Hughes
Liz Fitting
Lloyd DeLeon
Lora MacEachern
Lorraine Campbell
Lorrie Turnbull
Lou Gannon
Louise Gillis
Lover Atwork Office Furniture
Lucy Walsh
Lukas Marks
Lynda Thomas
Lynn S. Coveyduck
Lynne Patterson
MacKenzie Thomson
Mackillop Pictou Law Group Inc.
Magalie Sephton
Manulife Financial
Marah Haywood
Margaret Miller
Marita Winaut
Mark Saldanha
Mark Smith
Mark T. Knox Inc.
Mary Navas
Matthew Brown
Medavie Blue Cross
Medavie Health Foundation
Megan Dicks
Melanie Campbell
Melanie MacDermid
Melanie Petrunia
Melissa Rothfus
Michael Tate
Michelle Bussey Sare
Mico Schwartzentruber
Misty Cartmill
Moira Chiasson
Moraig Macgillivray
Municipal Enterprises Limited
Nancy Rondeaux
Nathan Sutherland
Ned Perry
NGM Investments Inc.
Nicholas Shklanka
Nicole Baden-Clay
North End Business Association
Northbridge Financial Corporation
Nova Scotia NDP Caucus
Office Interiors
Pamela C. Anderson
Patricia Greenlaw
Patrick Brannon
Patty Faith
Paul Davie
Paula Latham
Perry Borden
Peter Alward
Peter Conrod
Peter Fardy
Peter Greene
Pink Larkin
Qutaiba Alomari
Rebekah Skeete
Rita Jennex
Robbie Shaw
Robert Fraser
Robert Richardson
Robert Tupper
Robin McNeil
Rod Sterling
Ruby Badger
Ryan Zaldin
Safia Day
Sandy Smith
Sara MacInnis
Sarah Elliot
Sarah McInnes
Sarah Young
Scotiabank – Halifax Corporate Office
Scott Biggar
Scott Logan
Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation of Canada
Sebastiaan Ambtman
Sera Thompson
Shannon Bradley
Sian Wren
Silvio Vaca-Talbot
Sonya Fraser
Sophie Maunder
Stephanie Reid
Stephen Macdonald
Steve McCuaig
Steven Wilson
Stewart McKelvey
Strait2Ukraine
Susan Stylianides
Suzy Hansen, MLA
TD the Toronto Dominion Bank
Terene Murphy
The Bank of Nova Scotia
The Bin Doctor Ltd
The Robert Steele Foundation
The Shaw Group Limited
The Windsor Foundation
Tim Reid
Tina Drapeau
Tori Grant
Tracey Gray
Tracey Thomas
Travis McDonough
Trina Samson
Truly Nolen Pest Control
United Way Halifax
United Way of Pictou County
Velo Apartments
Vernell Johnson
Village on the Canal Association
Viola Jackson
Virginia Salsman
Vivian Dixon
Wesley G. Campbell
Wilfred A. Jackson
William Adshade
Yasmin Mukhtar
Thank you for everything you do as YMCA Donors. We have been a pillar in the community for 170 years. Our charity needs your support, to continue to evolve our programs and services, and to help people find safe places to belong!
Sincerely,
The YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth
