The Y’s the limit for community
YMCA is moving beyond swim-and-gym options, helping newcomers, street kids, homeless
Mehdat Mahdy knows the importance of being welcomed into a new community.
A Muslim immigrant from Egypt, he began working with the GTA’s YMCA as a part-time tennis coach in1976. Now he is its CEO and president, leading the organization’s vision for change for the ever-expanding metropolitan area.
Celebrating its 160th anniversary this year, the Y of the GTA is evolving to meet the needs of the city around it.
“The vision is that our communities will be home to the healthiest children,” Mahdy says.
The new plan is about implementing a modern community health strategy, building on strong foundations the Y has carefully laid for so many years.
To this end, key areas in the city, where the need is greatest, have been identified, and the Y has committed to building 10 new community centres, starting off with work on the Kingston Rd. location (East Toronto), Vanauley Rd. (Queen West), Bridletowne (North Scarborough), Cherry St. (Pan Am Athletes Village) and Kipling Ave. (Etobicoke). In order to achieve its goal, the YMCA must fundraise $250 million by 2020.
As the name suggests, the original Young Christian Men’s Association began its life as a health and fitness club predominantly for men in the 1800s, but today the organization is an inclusive place for everyone, no matter their faith or sex.
“The organization hasn’t moved away from its ethical centre,” says Gordon Chong, chair of the YMCA board. “But for a Christian organization to have a Muslim CEO from Egypt and a Chinese-Canadian as their chair, well, it’s changed for sure.”
These changes have made the Y more responsive to the needs of the population. “Government money is dwindling, so we need to expand our programs to be relevant to our city,” Chong says.
“We need to think about what we provide aside from the swim-andgym options.”
One of these expanded programs includes helping young people who live on the street.
Last spring, the YMCA started a drop-in centre for homeless youth in the Queen St. W. area. The shel- ter runs on weekdays with 50 to 70 young people using the facilities each day, says Louise Smith, the YMCA’s youth outreach co-ordinator. The Y also runs an emergency shelter for young men between 16 and 24 across the street from the Queen W. centre. It’s been operating at full capacity with 45 beds seven days a week. “We’re definitely thinking about the determinants of social health — such as targeting poverty and increasing social inclusion, but it’s re- ally about bringing change to the whole community,” Smith says. John Kahled, an Afghan-Canadian, has been using the Y for five years. He regularly attends Teen Nights — one of the new initiatives launched under Mahdy’s leadership — at the Scarborough centre. He currently works at the Y on a co-op placement five days a week, but also goes to the Y about three times a week to play sports. “The Y just makes me feel welcome,” Kahled says. “It’s a second home now.”
The Y also has a leadership program for newcomer youth, says Mahdy, who rose through the ranks over the years, and even met his wife at the Y, where she worked as a volunteer.
He says he always appreciated the YMCA’s commitment to diversity.
According to Chong and Mahdy, the biggest challenge for the YMCA has always been fundraising. In the early 1970s, the YMCA was on the verge of bankruptcy.
“The Y steps up when times are tougher. . . . Someone has to do it, but we need to be better at selling the story of the impact we have,” says Mahdy.
To help do this, the Y has introduced a new research element to track the impact of its programs — such as the Teen Nights — and how it affects the social determinants of health. Since the program launched in March,10,000 young people have participated, Mahdy says.
“I think once people have seen what the Y does, they get convinced,” Chong says. “I learned how to play basketball, volleyball and swimming there when I was 10 years old,” he said. “Now, I want to give back to those young people.”
Chong believes the organization is the best integrator of children and youth services outside the school system. “The Y’s potential has yet to be unleashed,” he says.