Y camper gives back to the community
Mother ‘wanted to ensure we were included . . . without worrying about racism’
It’s difficult to imagine that a couple of weeks at a day camp as a young child could stay with you forever and have an impact on major decisions later in life, but that is what happened to Karen Takenaka.
To honour her mother, who died in 1991, Takenaka set up a fund to help provide assistance for children to go to day camp, something they might not otherwise have been able to afford.
“My first memory was of camp and my mother’s first thought was of Y camp,” says the 67-year-old retiree, who worked in educational administration at Ryerson University. “And in the intervening years, I’ve seen the value of what I got from it.”
Takenaka’s mother chose a YMCA day camp for her two daughters for several reasons. Takenaka says, “she wanted us out of her hair; even though there were a lot of kids around, she wanted more structured play, as opposed to us roaming the streets.” Her mother was also interested in the values that the Y instilled in their programs — the same values then as today: responsibility, accountability, inclusiveness and more.
Born after the Second World War and of Japanese-Canadian heritage, Takenaka notes that Toronto was a very different place back then than it is now.
“We have a very multicultural society, but it wasn’t, post-World War II,” she says. “There was still a lot of feeling about the war, and I think (my mother) just wanted to make sure we were included in everything without having to worry about racism. We found that at the Y.”
She and her sister attended camp only for a couple of weeks for a couple of summers as young girls, but Takenaka says they still remember with fondness the songs, campfires, crafts and activities. Takenaka wondered how she could honour her mother after she died; what she could do that her mom would really appreciate. A fund to help send children to camp seemed a natural choice.
And Takenaka is passionate about giving back, in whatever way pos- sible. Since the 1980s, she has served on the Y’s governing council, the policy advisory group, the international and community services committees, the board of directors, and she has volunteered as a literacy tutor, amongst other duties. “I have always felt that I’ve been very fortunate as my life has prog- ressed,” she says. “Maybe some people feel it’s their right and they got there of their own accord, but I think there’s room for giving back to the community at large.” And giving — whether of time, money, or both — is a win-win. “There is real room for people to give back,” she says. “If you don’t have the financial resources, you give your time. You’re making a contribution and you’re possibly making a difference.”
“If you talk to almost anybody who gives in whatever way, shape or form, it always makes them feel good,” she adds. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t do it.”