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YWCA receives $4.25M donation for affordable housing project and programs

Photo Shutterstock YWCA Metro Vancouver has received the largest donation in its 121-year history of $4.25 million.

 Photo ShutterstockPhoto Shutterstock

YWCA Metro Vancouver has received the largest donation in its 121-year history of $4.25 million.

The donation will be used to fund an affordable housing project for single mothers in North Vancouver and YWCA's programs in the Downtown Eastside.

The $4.25 million comes from a donor that wishes to remain anonymous.

“We are moved by this unprecedented generosity,” says Michelle Sing, interim CEO of YWCA Metro Vancouver. “A gift of this scale will have an immediate and sustained impact on the lives of hundreds of vulnerable families in our community.”

Funding will go towards the development of 14 affordable housing units for single mothers and their children in a 22-storey rental building by Chard Development at 1441 St. Georges Avenue that will be completed in 2020.

The $4.25 million gift will also fund a range of programs at YWCA Crabtree Corner, which is a community resource centre serving vulnerable women and families in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. 

The programs offered at YWCA Crabtree Corner benefiting from the funding include:

A financial literacy and peer mentorship program for pregnant and new mothers recovering from addictions. This program helps new moms build financial skills, plan for the future and connect with a peer mentor to reduce social isolation.

A new Elder in Residence program that will apply Indigenous perspectives and knowledge to community support, healing and wellness.

The YWCA’s new Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Key Support Program, which provides one-to-one education, referrals and support to maintain and enhance the stability of families impacted by FASD.

The $4.25M gift will support the expansion of the YWCA’s Single Mothers’ Support Services to North Vancouver and the YWCA's Pathways to Leadership, which is a specialized mentorship and employment program for immigrant single mothers.