Here it is! YWCA Moncton’s new, refreshed email newsletter. Four times per year we will share recent highlights, exciting projects we are working on, as well as a glimpse of what’s ahead – keeping you in the loop of all things YWCA!
Let’s keep in touch!
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Chasing Birds for a Good Cause
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YWCA Moncton’s Executive Director, Michèle Nadeau, has once again been chasing birds – for a good cause that is! The 2023 Chasing Birds for a Good Cause calendar is now for sale! When you buy this one-of-a-kind calendar, you are supporting the incredible work that the United Way of Greater Moncton and Southeastern NB does for our community. But it does not stop there. If you register your calendar online, you will also get a chance to win a $50 gift card, generously donated by one of our amazing local sponsors!
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So here is how it all works!
Buy your Chasing Birds for a Good Cause calendar for $20 and register your calendar to enter our monthly gift card draw. Draws take place on the 6th of each month, starting in January 2023. All registered calendar owners will be entered to win each month. Don’t miss out on your chance to win one of our amazing $50 gift cards!
Thank you to our sponsors!
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Already purchased a calendar?
Don’t forget to register it here for your chance to win!
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Goodbye Summer, hello Autumn!
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Now that the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder, memories of a sun-drenched and fun-filled summer still warm our hearts. Here is what we have been up to!
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Youth Summer Program
The youth in our popular youth outreach program had so much fun over the summer! Over 50 participants connected a few times each week to engage in free activities that taught inclusion and kindness, and that created happy summer memories! On hot days, you could often find us at the splash park, and on rainy days we had a blast making cool crafts, watching movies, playing games, and preparing (and eating!) snacks. We ended the summer off with a cupcake decorating celebration and a field trip to a construction site to learn all about the trades. In addition to hosting programs in the Beechwood community, we also expanded to the Parkton community this summer. Thank you to all the youth, parents, and community partners who contributed!
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Daycare Summer Camp
We had 38 campers between the ages of 6 and 12 join us for 10 weeks of summer camp this year. The weeks flew by so fast, playing, exploring, making new friends, and having fun. We went on some amazing outings: St. Andrews Aquarium, Kings Landing, Fundy National Park, the Moncton Zoo, Dieppe Rotary Park, Centennial Park, and Hop, Skip, Jump. We can’t wait for next Summer Camp!
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Each year during the third week of October, Canadians and people around the world come together to mark YWCA’s Week Without Violence, a week-long series of community events to promote a violence-free world. YWCA Moncton ran a social media campaign raising awareness about tech-facilitated violence, themed “Not in our streets, not on our screens”. Online hate, abuse, and harassment have a far-reaching impact on women and gender-diverse people’s safety, wellbeing, and freedom.
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Take Back the Night
On October 18, we invited the community to march with us as part of a worldwide initiative to “Take Back the Night”. With the power of numbers, signs, and a loud message (“Whose streets? Our streets!”) this annual event is held to help build awareness and protest sexual violence against women and gender-diverse people. Despite the rain, we had a great turnout!
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Image by Bernard Gallant Photography
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YWCA Moncton is gearing up to welcome new members to our agency’s Youth Council. The Council provides a safe space for female-identified and gender-diverse youth 12+ to grow in their leadership skills and make their voice heard. Serving as an advisory, advocacy and leadership board for our agency, the council aims to enhance the well-being of communities through engagement and an intersectional approach to diversity and inclusion. YWCA Moncton prioritizes the perspectives of youth and makes a conscientious effort to ensure our values, programs and initiatives incorporate a youth lens. New members are welcome to join at any time - come as you are, no experience necessary! Contact us today to learn more!
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We are so proud to bring our Brave YW project to the Greater Moncton area, as well as Kent County. The Brave YW project has 2 components – a free youth mentorship program, as well as a community awareness raising initiative. Together, through these two components, the Brave YW project aims to help youth lead safe and empowered lives - reducing their risk of experiencing sexual exploitation.
Mentoring
The mentoring component connects a Brave YW mentor with a youth, and together they identify goals, build skills, connect with the community, and have fun! Topics of interest often include job searching, online safety, personal safety, relationship skills, body image and mental health, among so many others. A listening ear and kind, supportive words can make all the difference!
Awareness Building
Brave YW also aims to help our community recognize and respond to cases of youth sexual exploitation and human trafficking, while working alongside youth to build protective factors such as knowledge of rights, healthy relationships, consent, and communication skills. We deliver free workshops and presentations to a variety of workplaces, schools, community groups and businesses. Contact us today to learn more!
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Did you know?
YWCA Moncton is one of 31 YWCA Canada member associations across the country. Led by YWCA Canada, national advocacy efforts are conducted to end gender-based violence, implement national childcare, achieve economic equality, and end homelessness for women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender diverse people. Our impact does not stop at the border, as we are connected to a global sisterhood of YWCAs. YWCA Canada is a member association of World YWCA, the biggest women’s movement in the world - reaching over 25 million women and girls in over 120 countries. These national and international connections are a valuable source of learning and inspiration.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community. YWCA Moncton has an array of opportunities for you to become involved as much or as little as your schedule allows – recurring opportunities, special events, program support and more. We would love your help supporting the women and families we serve!
Currently we are looking for:
- Baby whisperers to help us rock, feed and snuggle babies in our daycare
- Tech-savvy folks to help youth reach their goals in our TechnoTutoring program
- Handy folks to give our offices a fresh splash of colour
- An administrative support volunteer with a welcoming smile
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Thank You for Saying Yes!
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Thank you to everyone who donated to our very first SayYes! campaign. Thanks to your support, we reached our goal of $25,000! Stay tuned as we are gearing up for our next SayYes! campaign. It’s truly through the financial support we receive during campaigns like this that we can continue to provide essential community programs and services to women, girls, Two-Spirited and gender diverse individuals in our community.
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Join the Empowerment Club!
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Did you know that YWCA Moncton has just branded its new monthly giving program, the Empowerment Club?
There are many benefits to donating monthly to a non-profit:
- Donating Monthly allows you to change your donation at any time – just give us a call or send us an email!
- Donating Monthly allows you to make small monthly donations that have a big impact for YWCA Moncton.
- Donating Monthly is hassle-free, payments are charged right to your credit card each month.
- Donating Monthly allows YWCA Moncton to better plan and allocate resources throughout the year to best serve our community.
- Donating Monthly reduces administrative costs, meaning your donation will go even further – making an even bigger impact in your community.
Sign up today and become a monthly donor.
Help us continue to build long-term solutions to some of the biggest obstacles women, girls, Two-Spirited and gender diverse individuals face in Greater Moncton.
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Here is what your monthly gift could look like at YWCA Moncton:
$20/month will:
- Ensure a young girl has access to workshops on positive self-esteem and positive body image, so she can live a happy, fulfilled, and empowered life.
$50/month will:
- Provide technology training and supports to a woman looking to enhance her employment skills to reach her financial goals.
$75/month will:
- Equip Brave YW Mentors with tools and resources to support youth in developing online safety skills so they can alleviate the risks of sexual exploitation or human-trafficking.
$100/month will:
- Provide women with supportive community connections as they navigate recovery from eating disorders, grief, or domestic abuse, in a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment.
$150/month will:
- Provide previously homeless women and families with basic furniture and home essentials, such as bedding, kitchenware, and toiletries.
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