Julian felt excited when he learned his university club would be volunteering for YSM’s December Toy Market.

Volunteering had been a big part of his childhood, and he’d missed it during the pandemic and then his adjustment to university. As he spent his Toy Market shift working alongside a YSM staff member, he asked lots of questions, wondering if maybe he could volunteer again.

“I see a lot of vulnerable people in the city, and I just wanted to get more involved,” Julian explains. “I didn’t know where to look to help, and I found this opportunity to volunteer.”

At the Toy Market, the YSM staff member mentioned he worked in YSM’s Computer Literacy Centre and told Julian, “We’d love to have you.”

After meeting with YSM’s Volunteer Resources team, Julian took an ongoing once-a-week role assisting in a coding class for Grade 9 and 10 students. 

“I’ve been having such a blast, growing and learning with them, to be a role model almost, and sharing how to operate in life and not just coding,” Julian says. “I love it. Every time I go to class, I know I’m making a difference, and it just feels great. This is a great community to be a part of.”

Thank you, Julian, and all of the 1,598 volunteers who gave the priceless gift of time at YSM last year!

From Yonge Street Mission’s 2024-25 Annual Report