Latest news and stories

Home / Who We Are / Latest News and Stories

Keep up-to-date with our
latest news and stories

A Belief in Legacy Giving

At YSM we remain focused on serving the Toronto community while also working to secure and advance our programs and their impact for the decades ahead. As such, we’re working to keep strengthening both our present and future financial footings. Legacy gifts – especially bequests made in the Wills of

Read more

Engaging Families and Youth in Ending Poverty in Toronto

This fall, YSM will be introducing a new youth and family engagement program, inspired by the experience of long-standing YSM advocate and supporter, John Fenton. While just 11 years old, John was brought to YSM by his father, an experience he remembers vividly, one after which John vowed to commit

Read more

Computer Literacy Centre Celebrates Graduating Class of 2022

The spring and summer season tend to bring many moments of celebrations and fun to YSM! This year is no different as our Computer Literacy Centre celebrated 58 graduating students, ranging in age from kindergarten to grade 11. Their special celebration was held in our YSM Davis Centre gymnasium, where

Read more

Poverty Myth Busting: Changing Lives

Our second webinar, “Poverty Myth Busters: Changing Lives,” deepens our understanding of poverty in Toronto, and discuss tangible actions we can take to be part of the solution. The panel is comprised of three YSM staff members, including Senior Director of Programs Sandra Seaborn, Opportunities Fund Program Coordinator in Employment

Read more

Working Together for Stability & Security

Early this year, Rebecca* started her new job as a security guard at Paragon Security and since then has noticed her mood improving, “How I feel about myself is just more regulated. It feels less stressful now because I have a job that I don’t have to worry about changing

Read more

Mentoring: Being a Catalyst for Change

“Two years ago, one of our YSM community members was facing a lot of struggles, especially related to employment,” shared Gerald, YSM’s Volunteer Coordinator and our mentorship program lead. “They were moving from one minimum wage job to another, and were about to be evicted from their home.” “During that

Read more

Happy National Volunteer Week!

April 24th – 30th 2022 is National Volunteer Week! Volunteers are such an integral part of YSM’s community – the impact of their commitment and contributions can be seen and felt across the organization. During our last fiscal year, 929 volunteers provided over 32,000 hours of their time to YSM!

Read more

A Place to Call One’s Own

Stable housing is a foundational aspect in one’s journey out of poverty. A home provides not only refuge and shelter, but also a space for healing and empowerment – a place to call one’s own. Huda* first connected with YSM determined to find a secure sanctuary for herself and her

Read more

Advocating for Second Chances

Emily O’Brien’s name is well-recognized around YSM, both for her passionate support of YSM’s Helping Offenders on Probation (H.O.P.E) Program and for her delicious popcorn. Emily is the founder of Comeback Snacks, a popcorn company on a mission to make a difference for people with criminal backgrounds who are trying

Read more

Christmas at YSM

Joy & Hope Shared Through YSM’s Christmas Toy Market At YSM, our annual Christmas Toy Market always marks a special time of the year. In December 2021, as lockdown restrictions lifted, we were both excited and thankful to invite families back into our Toy Market space to enjoy the familiar

Read more

Poverty Myth Busting: Understanding Poverty in Toronto

Poverty Myth Busting: Understanding Poverty in Toronto addresses common misperceptions, illustrates the current face of poverty in Toronto, and the role YSM is playing, together with others, to create a solution. Frontline workers from YSM discuss relief programs, explore different issues linked to poverty in Toronto, and our journey to

Read more

What does it mean to journey with community members?

At YSM, the concept of goal setting is an integral part of how we journey with community members on their path towards stability. In some form, all of us have goals we aspire to fulfill. Some of them we consider small, like finishing a book or eating healthier. Whereas some

Read more
Three people posing for camera

A Real Life Santa Claus: Supplying gifts of food across the community

Retired for over two decades, YSM volunteer Gus goes above and beyond to source and share donated food with YSM, for staff to make into nourishing meals for community members. Growing up, Gus was always providing food to his neighbours as his family had a grocery store on Centre Island.

Read more
Wooden cabinet open

Commemorating 125 years of service, community and collaboration

2021 marks YSM’s 125th anniversary of serving in our city. To commemorate this special and memorable occasion, we used wood salvaged from the beams of YSM’s former site on Yonge Street to make a one of a kind time capsule to represent our work for future staff, volunteers, Board members

Read more

What does Philanthropy mean to you?

At YSM, we use the word philanthropy a lot. It’s a fundamental component of our mission to end chronic poverty, a way for an individual, or even very many people, to participate in our vision. But if I were to ask you are you a philanthropist? I wonder what your

Read more