YWCA Toronto

04/24/2026

💙✨ In recognition of Volunteer Week, we are grateful to Lorrie King, Committee Chair of the YWCA Toronto Distinction Awards and Partner at Deloitte, for her leadership and ongoing support as part of our community of volunteers and champions.

As Chair of the Distinction Awards Fundraising Committee, Lorrie helps guide an event that brings together community leaders and partners to celebrate impact and advance gender equity.

“This event is more than a celebration—it’s a chance to honour leaders driving change. Sponsors help transform this celebration into action, empowering women, gender diverse people, and their families as they find safety, housing, employment, skills, confidence and hope, shaping a stronger future for all.”
— Lorrie King, Partner, Deloitte and YWCA Toronto Distinction Awards Sponsor

Thank you Lorrie for your commitment to advancing meaningful change alongside YWCA Toronto 🎊

⭐ Learn more about and ways to get involved: https://www.ywcatoronto.org/distinctionawards

04/24/2026

📣 Learn about YWCA Toronto’s advocacy work in March! ⬇️

⚖️ Ahead of International Women’s Day (IWD), Sami Pritchard, Director of Advocacy and Communications, joined the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, the United Way Greater Toronto and LAMP Community Health Centre on a panel titled Balancing the Scales: Gender and Access to Justice in Community Empowerment. Together, they explored gendered and social barriers to justice and the role lived experience, and cross sector collaboration play in building more equitable systems.

👩🏽‍💻Sami Pritchard, also participated in a second United Way Greater Toronto panel entitled, ‘Diving Deeper: Investing in Women, Strengthening Communities’, that examined employment pathways for women and the critical role of wraparound supports in strengthening women’s leadership.

✊🏽 We attended the Women's Habitat of Etobicoke International Women’s Day Leadership Breakfast which celebrated feminist leadership and honoured recently retired Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Heather McGregor, for her decades of work addressing gender-based and advancing gender equity.

🗣️On IWD, we joined YWCA Member Associations across the country in sharing “why we say feminist” through a YWCA Canada video featuring Kim Quashie, Manager of Marketing and Communications, and Katie Campbell, Senior Digital Marketing and Social Media Officer from YWCA Toronto.
Learn more: https://ywcacanada.ca/news/were-saying-the-f-word/

💙As a founding member of the Equal Pay Coalition - Ontario, we were proud to attend a celebration of the Coalition’s 50 years of activism. The event also honoured Heather McGregor, YWCA Toronto CEO, recognizing her significant contributions to the feminist movement as she prepared to retire at the end of March.

✍️As members of the Shelter and Support Board Advocacy Coalition (SSBAC), we shared a letter with the Provincial government highlighting our concerns on their decision to defund supervised consumption and treatment services across Ontario.
Read the letter: https://tinyurl.com/su7mecbw

🌎We issued a statement acknowledging and condemning escalating violence and war across the globe, extending our solidarity to those seeking safety and resisting oppression, and urging a renewed commitment to peace, equity, justice, and human rights.
Read the statement: https://tinyurl.com/bdd7wn8x

🏳️‍⚧️Ahead of the Trans Day of Visibility, we joined Society of Q***r Momentum and dozens of feminist organizations across Canada in rejecting any attempt to frame trans inclusion as a threat to women. Add your name to the open letter: www.WomenForTransRights.ca

🗞️Have you subscribed to the Feminist Edge? Our monthly e-newsletter brings you highlights from our advocacy work, resources to deepen your learning, and practical tools to help you take action on the feminist issues. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/3VKrZnM

04/24/2026

📣🌎Today, April 24, is World YWCA Day which is recognized by over 100 YWCAs worldwide!

This year’s theme, Forward, Together, is a reminder of the power of connection when around the world and close to home, many women, gender diverse people, and children are living with conflict, displacement, and deep uncertainty.

World YWCA Day highlights the power of united feminist movements—locally, nationally, and globally. Together, we continue to mobilize for peace, equity, and justice.

Stay up to date with YWCA Toronto’s advocacy work by subscribing to our monthly e-newsletter, The Feminist Edge: https://bit.ly/3VKrZnM

04/22/2026

👷‍♀️Ready to explore a career in the skilled trades but not sure where to begin?

Funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, YWCA Toronto brings you STAR 4-Women, a unique training program for women and gender diverse individuals. This comprehensive program offers vocational assessment and skilled trades career exploration.

This eight-week training includes health and safety training and certifications, job preparedness, career counseling and more. We will guide you with skilled trades pathways and opportunities, plus provide networking opportunities with industry experts.

Our next session starts on May 25, 2026.

Don not miss this transformative opportunity!

✨ Sign up on Eventbrite and attend one of our info sessions here, https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ywcas-free-skilled-trades-programs-for-women-and-gender-diverse-people-tickets-1578297984759?aff=ebdsoporgprofile to learn more, or contact us at [email protected] or at 416.964.3883.

Have you been dreaming of a career shift? Consider entering a hands-on career in skilled trades!

04/21/2026

✨💙A heartfelt thank you to Anderson College for generously supporting our program participants at our YWCA Women’s Shelter, YWCA Arise Shelter, Davenport Shelter, and 389 Church Street Housing site with a donation of 200 adult backpacks filled with essential hygiene products!

This is a powerful example of community coming together to uplift and care for one another. Donations like this make a real, tangible difference in the lives of the women, girls and gender diverse people who access YWCA Toronto programs 🌟

Are you interested in getting involved or supporting our programs? We would love to hear from you—To learn more about how you can make an impact, please reach out to Jenane Jeyaseelan, Volunteers and Gift-in-Kind Officer at [email protected].

04/20/2026

👏🏾💙As we celebrate National Volunteer Appreciation Week, we want to express our sincere thanks to all our volunteers who generously dedicate their time to support the women, girls and gender diverse people across YWCA Toronto's 36 programs impacting over 13,000 lives each year.

In 2025, 335 volunteers contributed 6,436 hours - organizing workshops, leading classes, hosting activities, and serving on our board and committees. Each effort sparks connection, creativity, and support in our community ✨

Because of you, we can continue building safer, more equitable spaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Your impact is felt every day.

Thank you for being an essential part of our community 🎊

04/17/2026

🎤✨Earlier this week at the Equal Pay Day rally, Sami Pritchard, Director of Advocacy and Communications, spoke with Heather Wright from CTV News about how the day symbolizes how much longer into 2026 a woman must work to earn what a man earned in 2025. This gap is even wider for Indigenous and racialized women, LGBTQ women, and women with disabilities.

🗞️View the article here: https://linktr.ee/ywcato

We are proud to be founding and active members of the Equal Pay Coalition - Ontario and will continue to call for adequate funding for vital public services that meet community needs and help close the gender pay gap 💙

04/16/2026

✨ Immerse yourself in an inspiring evening filled with impactful stories, meaningful conversations, and a celebration of seven trailblazers leading real change in Toronto!

Join us for YWCA Toronto’s Distinction Awards, presented by Elmwood Spa and Bangkok Garden.

🍽️ Enjoy an intimate sit down dinner
🎤 Hear powerful stories from our 2026 Award Recipients
⭐ Bid on exclusive silent auction items
🤝 Connect and network with local changemakers
💙 Support women, girls, and gender diverse people in Toronto
🎶 Relish in our after party featuring music and delicious desserts

We are excited to return to The Carlu on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 5:30 PM! Swipe to see moments from the last time we hosted this inspiring event in this iconic space ➡️

🎟 Table and early bird tickets are on sale now! Act fast, the Early Bird deadline is April 30th at midnight. Purchase your ticket to now: www.DistinctionAwards.ca

04/15/2026

📣 “This round of funding cuts is destabilizing a system that took decades to build. These cuts will hurt our communities for years to come,” says Debbie Douglas of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) in a Toronto Star article highlighting the federal budget reductions affecting immigration programs across Ontario.

For a second year in a row, organizations within the immigrant settlement sector are navigating devastating federal funding cuts. Alongside the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI), our Director of Employment and Training Joanna Jaskielewicz and recently retired Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Heather McGregor spoke with the Toronto Star about the impact of these cuts on.

At YWCA Toronto, we are facing a 21% reduction in funding this year. As a result, we have had to close our childminding services, reduce staff positions, and redirect English learners to programs that already have long waitlists. These reductions limit access to essential services at a time when housing costs, employment barriers, and social pressures are especially high for newcomers.

As one of Toronto’s largest multi service organizations and a steadfast advocate for the communities we serve, including refugee claimant, non status, and immigrant women, girls, and gender diverse people, we know that newcomers deserve stability, opportunity, and a fair chance to thrive. Achieving this requires sustained investment.

🗞️Learn more and read the article: https://linktr.ee/ywcato

We are deeply grateful to OCASI for their leadership, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to protecting newcomer services across the province. We are proud to work alongside OCASI and sector partners as we continue to push for the resources and services newcomers need to support their futures💙

Photo (left to right): Heather McGregor, recently retired CEO of YWCA Toronto, and Joanna Jaskielewicz, Director of Employment and Training.

04/14/2026

📣💰Today is Equal Pay Day!

Equal Pay Day symbolizes how much longer into 2026 a woman must work to earn what a man earned in 2025. In Ontario, women must work an average of 15.5 months – an additional 3.5 months into the next year – to match what men earned the previous year. This gap is even wider for Indigenous and racialized women, LGBTQ women, and women with disabilities.

2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Coalition - Ontario, a powerful collective that has advanced economic equality for decades. We are proud to be founding and active members of the Coalition 💙

Today, alongside the Coalition and community partners, we gathered in downtown Toronto to rally for adequate funding for vital public services – with a particular focus on child care – that meet community needs and help close the gender pay gap.

✍️Join the Equal Pay Coalition in sending a letter to Premier Ford and the Provincial government demanding that they deliver on their commitment to build a child care system that gives child care workers decent pay and benefits and to close the gender pay gap: https://equalpaycoalition.org/mobilize-your-mpps/

Voice of Sami Pritchard, Director of Advocacy and Communications.

04/13/2026

📣💰Tomorrow, April 14 is Equal Pay Day in Ontario!

Equal Pay Day symbolizes how much longer into 2026 the average woman must work to earn what the average man did in 2025. In Ontario, Women earn nearly 30% less than men, and that gap is much larger for racialized women, Indigenous women, LGBTQ women, and women with disabilities.

YWCA Toronto is proud to be a founding member of the Equal Pay Coalition - Ontario, and we invite you to join us at a rally celebrating the coalition’s 50th anniversary and demanding pay equity in Ontario💪🏾

🗓️ Tuesday, April 14
⏰ 12:15 P.M.
📍 361 University Ave (Pillars of Justice)

Learn more: https://equalpaycoalition.org/action-kit/

04/10/2026

💜The Tech Safety Toolkit, created by Luke's Place Support & Resource Centre for Women & Children, includes the latest technology and the challenges survivors experience. It offers clear information, practical guidance, and easy-to-use templates for survivors, service providers, and allies.

The Tech Safety Toolkit includes:
📱 How to recognize technology facilitated abuse
🔐How to protect privacy and stay safe online
⚖️How to address technology abuse in family court
🖥️How to collect evidence for family court

Learn more and access the toolkit: https://lukesplace.ca/launch-of-the-updated-tech-safety-toolkit/