Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta grants YMCA with $35K Community Impact Award

Participants will receive a certificate of completion that can be added to their resumes.

The training is intended to support youth and other job seekers across southeastern Alberta while helping employers address workforce needs.

Sharon Hayward, YMCA of Southeastern Alberta CEO, said the organization was pleased to receive the funding, which will support the program developed in response to employment challenges facing young people in the region.

“We’re thrilled to be the recipient of this award,” Hayward said.

“When we recognize the need in the community with youth and young people struggling with unemployment, it was just natural that the team would innovate and come up with a solution.”

The funding will allow the YMCA to purchase equipment and provide practical training before participants enter the workforce.

“What we’re really excited about is we actually have equipment that young people and job seekers can come into our program and learn how to use before they go out into the workforce,” Hayward said.

The program will be delivered from the YMCA’s Employment Centre and will be available to participants aged 15 and older, with youth-specific training sessions as well as opportunities through the organization’s existing employment programs.

Hayward said the grant will strengthen the YMCA’s role in delivering employment services throughout the region.

“It really solidifies us as the prominent provider of employment services in southeastern Alberta,” Hayward said.

“It shows how innovative we are. And it shows how if there’s a need in the community, we can find a way to meet it.”

The Community Impact Award supports new and innovative projects that address priorities identified by the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta.

Helene Nicholson, the foundation’s rural development co-ordinator, said the YMCA project aligns with the organization’s work-and-economy priority and is expected to benefit communities across the region.

“The Community Impact Award is one of the greatest awards that we can give away because of the amount that we are allowed to give,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson said the YMCA’s employment expertise made the organization a strong candidate for the funding.

“With the Employment Centre being able to take on this opportunity, they are the experts in these fields,” Nicholson said.

“They can then educate the individuals that come through their doors and help them to become employable within Southeastern Alberta.”

The Community Foundation awards the Community Impact Grant annually through revenue generated by its endowment fund.

This year, two organizations received the $35,000 award, with the second grant supporting a project for the Alberta Special Areas Board.

by Jett Schwaier

Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta grants YMCA with $35K Community Impact Award

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