ADVERTISEMENT NOVEMBER 2025 | INNOVATINGCANADA.CA
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A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET
Canada Giving Back Bring joy and hope to families struggling in poverty this Christmas. Your gift to Mission Without Borders’ Operation Christmas Love delivers food, essentials, and hope to those struggling to survive this season.
Celebrating the People Who Power Our Communities Volunteers across Canada make an incredible impact, and this Giving Tuesday is the perfect opportunity to join them. Megan Conway, President & CEO, Volunteer Canada
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ife is busy with work deadlines, family commitments, and everything in between. But giving back doesn’t have to be complicated. Across Canada, volunteers are making a real difference every day, and you can, too. Volunteers across the country are helping to drive the systems that sustain health, education, care, and community well-being. Whether formal — a neighbour who delivers meals to seniors or a parent who coaches a soccer team — or more informal — a youth who shovels the driveway for a neighbour or a family that contributes food to a neighbourhood pantry — volunteers are contributing in countless ways to the places we live, work, and play.
Dedicated to Empowering Our Communities YWCA Toronto has been advancing positive change for over 150 years. Kim Quashie, Manager of Communications and Marketing
In 2023, Canadians contributed 4.1 billion hours of volunteer work — the equivalent of 2.4 million full-time jobs and up to $50 billion in economic value. That’s people power! But here’s the thing: volunteering isn’t just good for your community — it’s good for you. It’s a chance to: • Build your social network and make professional connections • Boost your well-being — volunteers report feeling less isolated and a greater sense of belonging and mental and physical well-being • Model values for the young people around you and inspire the next generation The United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of Vol-
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s one of the largest multi-service organizations in the City of Toronto, we provide transformative programs and services that empower women, girls, and gender diverse people at critical times in their lives. For many, YWCA Toronto is a beacon of hope in the face of staggering levels of gender-based violence, the housing crisis, and poverty in our city.
unteers for Sustainable Development — a global movement to celebrate and elevate volunteers. So, let’s kick off 2026 with a Giving Tuesday to remember. Every year, this special day gives us the opportunity to celebrate the value of volunteers and volunteering, and to maybe give a little extra time or money ourselves. This Giving Tuesday, take a moment to: • Share your story of volunteering on social media using #ignitevolunteerism and #GivingTuesdayCA, and tag @volunteercanada. • Give what you can — time, skills, or a donation.
• Challenge your friends, family, or colleagues to join you.
Notably, YWCA Toronto’s holistic, wraparound supportive services recognize that safety, housing, and economic security are interconnected. When survivors of gender-based violence find safe housing at one of our emergency shelters, they can also access transitional housing support toward permanent housing and gain pathways to sustainable futures through our Employment and Training pro-
This GivingTuesday, donate to YWCA Toronto to help break cycles of poverty, violence, and homelessness for women, gender diverse people, and their children. Visit ywcatoronto.org to donate.
Join Volunteer Canada on December 4 to celebrate International Volunteer Day and ignite your volunteer journey! To learn more about Volunteer Canada, visit volunteer.ca. This article was sponsored by Volunteer Canada .
grams. Each support strengthens the next — creating real, lasting change. “We believe in the resilience of the human spirit to persist amidst adversity,” says Heather McGregor, CEO of YWCA Toronto. “Now more than ever, let us come together as a community to lift one another up. We know that with the right supports, women, girls, and gender diverse people can thrive.”
This article was sponsored by YWCA Toronto.
Publisher: Meg Yutangco Business Development Manager: Luca Bidini Country Manager: Samantha Taylor Content & Client Success Manager: Nicole Kansakar Creative Director: Kylie Armishaw All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve The Toronto Star or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.
When you’re hungry during the holidays, everything reminds you of food. Help us fight hunger at secondharvest.ca/donate