Blog

From 2013-2020, YWCA Cambridge was home to two incredible STEM-based programs: STEM Mentoring and TechGyrls. As part of these YWCA Cambridge-made programs, staff would often invite guests from the local science, tech, engineering and math communities to come speak to youth participants, sometimes leading activities to give participants hands-on experiences.  Youth loved these sessions and …

Bringing STEM to Girls and Gender-Diverse Youth in Waterloo Region Read More »

“It’s a hard sell, getting folks to invest in prevention work because the outcomes aren’t always immediately obvious or quantifiable,” said YWCA Cambridge CEO, Kim Decker.

“But we have the data from our 11 years of providing violence-prevention programming. We’ve seen dramatic increases in feelings of connectedness, of wellbeing, confidence and resilience among participants in our programming. That’s why, as child and youth wellbeing is being challenged, demand for our programming is increasing.”

This week, the Ontario government passed legislation invoking the Notwithstanding Clause. This decision not only overrides rights laid out in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but threatens to fine individuals and unions who choose to strike while forcibly imposing a four-year contract. YWCA Ontario supports the 55,000 education workers in Ontario, who are predominantly …

YWCA Ontario Supports Education Workers: Statement Read More »

Adults are often left out of annual giving programs which tend to prioritize ensuring children are able to participate in the joy of unwrapping gifts around the holidays. For us, though, we’ve watched the women and gender diverse individuals who have gone through Small Steps work incredibly hard to overcome numerous barriers such as chronic abuse, un/under-employment, precarious living conditions and innumerable other barriers. Festive Futures is our chance to give back to the women who’ve shown such great tenacity in working toward their life and career goals, and a way for us to say thank you to them for trusting us with their stories.

Tickets are $65, $30 of which is eligible for a charitable donation receipt, and must be purchased in advance of the event. The afternoon, running from 1:00p.m. – 3:00p.m. will feature an elevated high tea experience followed by an interactive fashion presentation by Lynn Spence who will showcase some of the fall’s biggest trends carried by Women’s International Gift & Gallery (WIGG), YWCA’s social enterprise.

YWCA Cambridge joined YWCAs from across Canada for YWCA Canada’s annual YWCA Day On The Hill, an opportunity for YWCA member associations to gather in Ottawa to meet with Members of Parliament and Senators. Throughout our Day on the Hill, over 60 YWCA representatives made a coordinated, targeted request for more funding for affordable housing specifically built for women and gender-diverse people.

The deadline for child care operators to opt into the plan and to complete the application package is September 1, 2022.  It was our intention to submit our application by that date; however there have been some changes that we were notified of on August 17, 2022 by the Ministry of Education as follows:

This week, the Ontario Government re-introduced the 2022 Budget. Although there was an opportunity to address deepening crises in our province, few modifications to the budget were proposed. The proposed budget fails to offer Ontarians real relief from increasing inflationary pressures and fails to address the epidemic of gender-based violence or tackle workforce crises in the child care, nonprofit and healthcare sectors.  

For over 12 years, it has been our pleasure to bring you curated items that have promoted women designers, small business owners and entrepreneurs. Your enthusiasm and unwavering support for YWCA Cambridge’s social enterprise, WIGG, has allowed us to generate much-needed funds for the programs and services we offer for cis and trans women and girls and non-binary and two-spirit individuals and for that we are truly grateful.