A message to our community partners:

I want to take a moment to thank you, our community partners for demonstrating how incredibly effective we call all be when we come together to support one another. It has been a difficult time and a steep learning curve for all of us, as individuals and organizations. However, our ability to collectively work towards goals that create opportunities continues to amaze me. As our city begins to open its doors and shift into the ‘new normal’, I look forward to more of this spirit of collaboration.

In this ever-evolving world, some of the bright spots for me have been seeing the smiling faces of families in our childcare programs again and the skip in the step of our YW Fitness members as they return into our facility once again. For the past four months, we have remained steadfast in keeping our essential services, including shelter and housing, language instruction, employment supports and counselling services open for those who need them most. We have also been able to launch two new programs to support individuals and families during this time – Family Resource Network and Mindfulicity.

As we move through the phases of the Alberta Relaunch Strategy, YW continues to take our lead from Alberta Health Services in our re-open process, while considering the diverse needs of our programs and services. Our goal is to keep the women and children we support healthy and thriving. Our facilities and housekeeping teams continue to work hard to maintain a high degree of cleanliness and provide the necessary sanitizing materials and personal protective equipment so our residential clients and the team who support them can remain healthy.

Thank you for your camaraderie, patience and collaboration as we collectively navigate this pandemic.

Regards,

Sue Tomney, Chief Executive Officer, YW Calgary