Managing the administration of over 3,400 volunteers from our office is no small task and Sylvie helps us accomplish the almost impossible. She shares her time and talents in an open and caring manner. She asks good questions, does impeccable work and we consider ourselves lucky to be able to now also count her as a friend. We were so happy to welcome Sylvie to our team and want to thank her for continuing to share her gifts!

Thank you from your friends in the Volunteer Department, Ruth, Wendy and Angie.

On September 1st we will be celebrating our students at our annual student awards launch evening. We have a fabulous cohort of students this year and wish them well in their upcoming studies. YSM continues to believe that education is the way out of poverty and with our students paired up with a dedicated mentor they are sure to do well. Thank you Mentors!

You are cordially invited to our annual party to celebrate YOU!

Wednesday September 15, 2010, 4:30-7:00pm for Games, Entertainment, Food, Fun!

Location: behind Double Take at 310 Gerrard Street East in the parking lot

You are welcome to bring one guest and your own children

Please RVSP by September 7th by clicking HERE

We hope to see you  for all the fun!

(Click the image to print)

In this new role Angie will be working exclusively to support all of our mentoring programs and helping to develop new mentoring programs within YSM. Mentoring has been and continues to be an exciting and important part of YSM’s support of our community members and now with Angie at the helm full-time we will continue to be able to impact even more people. Mentoring connects people and changes lives. Mentors are volunteers who give of their time, talents and treasurers to make a positive impact on someone’s life. We all need positive people in our lives!

I want to take this opportunity to thank our past and current active mentors who have been helping to change lives one person at a time.

Ruth and Wendy are excited to welcome Angie as the newest part of our Volunteer Resources team!

Let Angie know if you have any questions about our mentoring programs at: ahocking@ysm.ca

Ruth Pentinga, Director of Volunteer Resources

PDF Version of Event Listing

For Immediate Release: May 19, 2010 

For media information: Ciarlo Communications

Tel:         416-763-3783

Cell:        416-458-5090

Email:    vciarlo@ciarlo.ca

Web:       www.ciarlo.ca

Toronto, Ont… Yonge Street Mission’s second hand retail outlet Double Take celebrates its 10^th anniversary, serving the downtown community, on Saturday, June 5, 2010 with an outdoor community-wide party at 310 Gerrard Street (Gerrard and Parliament). The afternoon’s events include a Designer Dare fashion competition, live entertainment, food, and activities for all ages.

The Double Take Designer Dare fashion competition is open to all up and coming fashionistas. The object is to design a complete new outfit for any occasion using second hand clothing items from the Double Take retail store.  A $10 registration fee will provide designers with a $25 Double Take gift certificate to purchase items for their refashioned outfit. Registration is open from May 13 to June 4, during Double Take’s regular store hours. Final outfits will be seen by a panel of judges on June 5 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The top 20 chosen fashion teams will be chosen and models will present their outfit on the runway to the audience. Judges will choose the top three and the audience will choose the grand prize winner. The top three teams will be awarded with a $50 Double Take gift certificate and the Grand Prize winning team wins a day with a Toronto fashion designer and have their winning outfit displayed in the shopping concourse of First Canadian Place.   For further details and an application form visit the Double Take page at www.ysm.ca.

Children and adults will enjoy live entertainment from local bands, clowns, magicians, face painting and complimentary food, including a celebratory anniversary cake. Visitors are also invited to drop by the Double Take store for clothing and home furnishing bargains.

Double Take’s 10^th anniversary party will be held in the parking lot behind the retail store, 310 Gerrard Street (Gerrard and Parliament) on Saturday, June 5, 2010 from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

For more information log on to www.ysm.ca or call 416-925-7198.

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Baptized Christians remember their dunking or sprinkling, this sign of a fresh awakening to Christ, this promise and covenant that is part of their own story. They remember their experience of God’s faithfulness and abiding love since then. They remember that God has been strikingly, beautifully faithful to His Word.

There are others at the baptism. Those who are close to the baptismal candidate carry a secret joy. Those who have known the ups and downs of the life now being freely offered in baptism, have special knowledge of the inner workings of the convert’s life. They were there at the first tentative sounds of faith from the new believer, and they have since seen the initial budding of a life newly given to God. They have witnessed real change and will continue to see genuine transformation in this life. It’s quite a thing to behold and pretty hard to explain, unless you consider the One behind this change.

Seekers and those who happen-by into the service are witnessing something pretty odd to them. What is this big round tank of water in the middle of the room? What are these songs about? Who are they singing to and why, with such joy and conviction? Why are these people testifying so passionately about their lives being so changed? Why are they getting in the water? Why are they submerged and then emerge with glowing faces?

It’s hard to describe the beauty of a baptism service. So very much is happening.

Matthew Parker

Toronto, ON  (May 25, 2010) – Yonge Street Mission’s Evergreen Centre for Street Youth is the Toronto stop in a cross-country odyssey by two Calgary-based philanthropists and entrepreneurs. Brent King and Robb Price are hitting the road and driving over 6,600 kms from Vancouver to Halifax in an RV, to deliver 30,000 pairs of ginch (men’s underwear) to homeless shelters from coast to coast.

This cross-Canada underwear drive, otherwise known as GotGinch, is in its second year. Last year entrepreneur, Brent King came up with the concept and delivered 25,000 pairs of ginch. The campaign was so successful (and so needed) that he decided to do it again this year and to increase the ginch delivery to 30,000.

King and Price are travelling the open road in an RV bulging at the seams with underwear from May 14 to May 27, stopping along the way to deliver 3,000 pairs of the ginch to ten homeless shelters in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

So why are two fellows prepared to spend two-weeks in tight living quarters in an RV with 30,000 pairs of ginch? In 2008 Brent was inspired by the asking of a simple question of a local homeless shelter - ”what do you need?”  The response was a simple one – men’s underwear. Brent, an inventor and entrepreneur who has always had a unique way of looking at problems in order to solve them, got to work. Money was raised through the help of friends, family and business colleagues; a supplier for a large quantity of underwear was sourced; the order placed; an RV arranged and voila - GotGinch was born.

This type of ‘problem solving’ approach inspired another entrepreneur, Robb Price to join Brent on his cross-Canada underwear drive.  Robb has developed a social giving network – DeliverGood.org.  DeliverGood is an online tool that matches charities and non-profits in need of goods, volunteer time and funding with the individuals and companies that can provide them.

Follow GotGinch across the country at www.delivergood.org/gotginch

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For more information:

Or, visit out online media room at www.delivergood.org/mediaroom which includes:

• Images + cutlines
• 30 second audio/video clips
• Quotes
• Fun facts
• Bios of Brent King and Robb Price
• Full tour date schedule for Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

About DeliverGood.org

DeliverGood.org is a recently launched website developed to streamline and maximize the charitable giving process. It matches charities and non-profits in need of goods, volunteer time and funding with the individuals and companies that can provide the specific goods, volunteer time and funding. To find out more, visit www.delivergood.org

About Yonge Street Mission & Evergreen

The Yonge Street Mission (YSM) is a non-profit organization that aims to meet the needs of a diverse society living in poverty in Toronto. The Mission operates over 100 programs and services, and last year made a positive difference in the lives of more than 18,000 people, from seniors, socially isolated adults, homeless street involved youth, to the many parents and children growing up in the low-income communities served by YSM.

YSM’s Evergreen Centre for street involved youth receives over 88,000 visits each year form youth aged 16-24. Youth drop in for a meal then stay to take advantage of the dynamic programs offered including support for finding employment and housing, free medical services in the health clinic and respite childcare. Staff seek to build relationships with youth who often lack parental support and guidance during these formative years.

It’s easy to get your own personalized discount card. Just check the appropriate box when you’re completing your volunteer contact update information sheet (available from your supervisor). Double Take discount card request forms are also available at the Community Centre (CCC) reception desk at 270 Gerrard St. East, or at Evergreen for those who volunteer there.

The request form can be filled in, signed by your supervisor and returned to the reception desk at the CCC or to your Evergreen supervisor. Volunteers will be able to pick up their cards from the CCC receptionist or Evergreen two weeks after a request is submitted.

Participation is a big part of Church at the Mission. Energy abounds, and a variety of worship styles are explored as members, volunteers and visitors take part as the Spirit moves them. Allowing the church to express itself is always on the agenda. As a result, the weekly worship is always fresh and vibrant as each person finds their own personal connection and expression.

Community lay leaders work closely with the pastors to set the direction and content for the worship services, as well as special events and classes. CATM believes in community development, engagement and empowerment.

We are extremely grateful for the vital work done by our volunteers, who set up chairs, operate the sound system, lead worship, welcome newcomers and offer hospitality. Our valued volunteers also enable us to provide transportation to and from services for seniors and those with mobility issues.

The church’s weekly Agape community dinner provides a culturally diverse group with an opportunity to share a meal, raise questions about life and faith, and enjoy arts and entertainment together. We also host and organize banquets during Easter season and other special times of the year that are attended by about 175 members of the community.

In all we do, we seek to honour God, foster caring partnerships, and discern and use the gifts of the many people for whom CATM is “home.”

General Volunteer Opportunities

Find out about Volunteer Groups

See our Urgent Volunteer Needs