News and Stories

Several years ago, my life changed dramatically. Within a short period of time, my father passed away and my aging mother’s health began to rapidly deteriorate. As a result, my priorities shifted. I decided to quit my job, move from a small town near Vancouver Island to Kelowna, and become my mother’s full-time caregiver.

"You don't do it alone, you do it with support of others." As a single parent, Valene had to work three jobs to support herself and her son, Zach. Accessing safe and nurturing childcare for Zach was what she wanted the most, but they could barely make ends meet at that time.

"The love I got from this place made me want to keep going." Luci was struggling mentally and financially after being diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago, but she never lost hope and stayed optimistic thanks to the immeasurable support and encouragement from people working at the Y. Learn more about Luci's story by watching her video.

My life turned upside down about two years ago when I received a startling diagnosis from my doctor – I was at serious risk for type 2 diabetes. I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised, after all for over a decade I had placed my health on the back burner and had developed some seriously bad habits.

I moved to the Yukon for work to embark on what I thought would be an exciting adventure. Unfortunately, soon after I arrived, I found myself in an extremely negative environment and anxiety began to take over. I was struggling in a difficult situation while feeling isolated in a new town and I just couldn’t cope. 

Dissatisfied and tired with working at entry level jobs, my motivation started to plummet and I had all but given up on my passion of finding a fulfilling career path. I tried labourer positions, cooking, and dishwashing and while it was clear to me that I needed some training and certifications, I could not afford the programs that would help me get hired. I felt completely stuck.