Thank you for your support of WCYR.

As a not-for-profit agency, Women’s Centre of York Region relies on funding and fundraising to help women who have been abused or who are at risk of homelessness. Our current funding means we are just able to deliver the same level of service, but we know, based on 2011, that demand for services will continue to grow in 2012, especially as we are also being challenged to respond to a whole new range of clients who need our services as a result of the economy.

In 2011, donations helped us to:

• Distribute 140 Holiday Hampers, helping 260 children
• Provide food support to 2498 women and children
• Provide 2698 hours of counselling to women who have experienced abuse
• Work with 265 women to create safety plans
• Engage over 200 women in our Making Changes life skills program

The Ripple Effect

The work we do is amazing, helping women gain independence, feel worthy again, and regain their voice. These women are mothers, workers, and volunteers, so when they feel empowered and good about themselves, you can only imagine how that benefits their families, workplaces, and communities.

We invite you to be part of The Ripple Effect, a campaign launched in 2009. When a small stone is thrown into water, there is an immediate splash, followed by on-going ripples that change the water’s surface and look of the shoreline. We believe that when we take small, meaningful, and conscious actions, the ripple effect can be seen and felt throughout a community.

Here is the ripple effect when you donate to WCYR:

• $15 a month means one more family can access our Last-Week-of-the-Month program. Funds are used to purchase grocery gift cards, allowing families to make their own food choices, based on cultural needs and food sensitivities.
• $88 helps two more children access school supplies through our Back-to-School program. This means mothers can spend money on food and other basic needs. Children can go back to school with confidence, knowing they have the supplies necessary for learning.
• With $200, one woman can participate in a full Making Changes session. This program builds self-esteem, develops key life skills, such as communications and increases her ability to return to work.

How Your Donations Help Women

Click here to see current 3rd Party Events benefiting WCYR.

Here are some additional ways you can make a ripple:

Donating

Donating Online

FundScrip Gift Card Program

Fundraising Ideas

Attend One of Our Events

Help Fulfil Our Wish List

Purchase a WCYR Bracelet

As a business, you can help us by:

• Sponsoring a WCYR program
• Sponsoring a WCYR event (such as WCYR's Signature Experiences Auction)
• Running a 3rd party event to engage your employees and support WCYR

More information about donating and fundraising:

Donor Bill of Rights

Association for Fundraising Professionals Code of Ethics

When we take small, meaningful and conscious actions, the ripple effect can be seen and felt throughout a community.