YMCA participating in Giving Tuesday today

MONEY RAISED TO HELP LOW-INCOME CHILDREN , FAMILIES ACCESS YMCA PROGRAMS

The YMCA of Lethbridge has set a fundraising goal of $20,000 to help low-income children, teens and families access YMCA of Lethbridge programs and memberships.

The YMCA will be participating in Giving Tuesday, today, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide.

The YMCA of Lethbridge is asking the community to make a pledge to help build healthy communities by making a charitable donation or by spreading the organization’s message through social media.

Just as Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season, GivingTuesday is the opening day of the giving season. In its seventh year in Canada, GivingTuesday continues to gain traction across the country, with thousands of partner organizations and millions of Canadians expected to take part, supporting the causes they believe in and the communities in which they live.

The work that the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign does is very much dependent on the generosity of the community. A charitable donation to the YMCA of Lethbridge stays local and helps a child go to camp, connects families to YMCA programs and services, inspires people to lead healthier lives, and allows the YMCA to develop supports for the most vulnerable populations.

“In 2019 the community of Lethbridge supported the YMCA with over $150,000 in donations for our campaign,” says Jennifer Petracek-Kolb, CEO of the Lethbridge YMCA, in a news release. “All of that money was used to support the membership and program registration fees of young people, their families and adult individuals with proven inability to pay the full fee.

“One in every five children in Lethbridge lives in a home with an annual income that is below the poverty line and we continue to see more and more families struggling financially. We are proud to live by our promise that no one is turned away due to proven inability to pay and are so grateful to be in a community that always steps up to support our work in building healthy communities.”

For more information about the campaign or donating to the YMCA of Lethbridge’s Strong Kids Campaign, visit https://lethbridgeymca.ca/giving-tuesday or contact Pam at 403-942-5762.