News and Stories

A brighter future starts here: Dane's Story

Dane Webster was on his own at the age of 17 and didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. He worked a few odd jobs until he was in his early twenties, but was struggling to find sustainable wor

Recovery starts here: Bob's story

After decades of abusing his body—not exercising, smoking heavily and eating poorly—Bob suffered two heart attacks. Though his first was alarming, it wasn’t until his second heart attack six years lat

New beginnings start here: Ali's Story

Ali Fraser and her three children—Mahala, Dream and Tally—moved to Kelowna in 2015 in search of a fresh start. After years on their First Nations reserve, Ali made the difficult decision to move her k

Life-long learning starts here: Dannie's Story

It can be difficult for any parent to give their kids the best start in life. Dannie Boucher feels this pressure four-fold, being a single mother of four children who are all looking to her for suppor

Invigoration starts here: Harley's story

“A year ago, my fitness regime consisted of fighting the jets in the hot tub. Now, at 69 years old, I participate in TRX and yoga classes three times a week. Thanks to the YMCA, I have been able to dr

Aaron's Story

When we first moved to Kelowna, my mom, dad and two sisters were sharing a one-bedroom hotel room and there was no space for me, so I lived out of a van on the street. I was in a really bad spot —