Support Financial Assistance
As the cost of living skyrockets, too many people are being priced out of opportunities to thrive. Families are choosing between paying rent and sending their kids to camp. Seniors are skipping wellness programs to afford groceries. Students are sidelined from sports because they can't pay their utility bills.
You can break down cost barriers to ensure income never stands in the way of well-being. Donate now to open the door to transformative programs — from summer camp to soccer leagues — that empower people to reach their full potential.
Learn about the transformative programs your gift can help make possible:
Why Financial Assistance Matters
Loneliness and mental health are public health emergencies
Loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Yet:
- 37% of Torontonians feel lonely at least three days per week.
- Over 1 in 4 Torontonians face depression, while 17% struggle with anxiety — with the burden falling heaviest on lower-income households.
Financial hardship is driving the crisis
For many, it isn’t a lack of desire to connect. The crushing weight of financial pressure is keeping them from participating in their community.
- Half the population earns below the living wage.
- At 25.3%, Toronto is the child poverty capital of Canada.
Children and youth unfairly bear the brunt
As basic household expenses skyrocket, people are forced to make impossible choices:
Food or programs, rent or recreation, survival or opportunity.
- 40–50% of families struggle with the cost of youth sports and camps.
- 1 in 3 children are left out completely.
That means 1 in 3 kids are missing out on the confidence, connections, and skills they could build in sports or at camp — because of the cost.
These services aren’t luxuries; they’re lifelines
But these services are not just “nice to have.”
Research shows that extracurricular activities like sports, camps, and community programs:
- Play an important role in children’s development
- Help them build skills, make friends, and explore their passions
- Positively impact mental health, reducing anxiety and depression
- Improve confidence and build belonging
- Teach skills including creative and critical thinking, and effective communication
- Are associated with greater educational engagement, higher rates of high school completion, increased academic success, and employability
Yet many sports leagues, lessons, and camps are for profit, meaning these benefits are often restricted to youth from wealthier families who can afford to pay.
You Can Help Break the Cost Barrier
With your support, the Y’s financial assistance program ensures no child, teen, family, senior, newcomer, or parent gets turned away because of cost.
From swim lessons and summer camps to sports leagues and beyond, your gift opens doors to opportunities that build physical and mental health, reduce isolation, nurture confidence, and strengthen belonging — cultivating a stronger community for all.
By donating today, you’ll be giving people the chance to participate in three high-impact program areas where the need is greatest.
Give Kids the Magic of Camp
Struggling parents are forced to make impossible choices, sacrificing opportunities like camp in order to make ends meet. Your donation gives kids from low-income families the fun, friendship, and magic of camp.
Whether it’s the chance to learn a new skill at photography day camp, or the life-changing opportunity to spend the week at overnight camp in Muskoka, your support helps a child in need build independence, confidence, and resilience. These are foundational competencies that children need to succeed in school and in life — and camps help kids cultivate these skills and more while making memories that last a lifetime.
The Impact You Can Make
You can help make camp possible for kids whose families can't afford it. You’ll be giving them the chance to join classic camp activities that build self-esteem, teach leadership and teamwork skills, and help them realize their true potential.
- 93% of campers say they made new friends
- 74% felt a stronger sense of belonging
- Countless campers leave with newfound independence, resilience, and a lifelong appreciation for the great outdoors
Open Doors to Health, Hope, and Human Connection Through Subsidized Memberships
For people struggling to make ends meet, a gym membership is simply out of reach — which means opportunities to exercise, relieve stress, and connect with others are also beyond their grasp.
Your support opens the door for low-income individuals, families, and seniors who otherwise couldn’t afford to join. And for lonely newcomers, stressed working parents, and isolated seniors — a membership means so much more than a place to work out. It offers:
- New connections and a supportive community
- Reduced loneliness and isolation
- Accessible exercise options, promoting physical and mental health
- A sense of belonging that improves overall well-being
The Impact You Can Make
By providing memberships for low-income individuals and families, you would not only be breaking down financial barriers; you would be providing people tools to improve their physical and mental health, grow closer as a family, lift themselves out of isolation, and rebuild their confidence and self-esteem.
- 91% of our financially assisted gym members say the Y helped their mental health
- 97% say it helped them get physically active
Fuel Friendship, Fortitude, and Future Leaders Through Kids’ Lessons and Leagues
Without financial assistance, many children would never learn the life-saving skill of swimming. Others would miss out on the chance to hone their leadership skills on a soccer team, express their creativity in a dance class, or discover the discipline and focus of martial arts.
When you help children access YMCA sports and rec programs, you’re giving them a chance to:
- Stay active and healthy, building a foundation for physical activity that can last a lifetime
- Gain confidence and resilience by mastering new skills and overcoming challenges
- Make friends and feel included in their community
- Learn teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership skills that set them up for success in school, work, and life.
The Impact You Can Make
With your generosity, children from low-income families who might otherwise be left on the sidelines can realize their full potential — physically, socially, and emotionally.
- 79% of members say the Y helped their children’s social life, including making friends and spending time with family
- 83% of parents say their membership helped their children’s mental health
- 100% said it helped their kids get active and exercise
- 84% say it helped their children’s confidence and self-esteem
Who Benefits
Liz, YMCA Camp parent
“Summer camp wasn’t always an option for my family, but when we needed it most, we discovered the Y offered financial assistance — and suddenly, it became possible.
"My kids have been going to camp for years and they still come home every day excited to tell us about all the activities they’ve learned. Mountain biking and slacklining are their favourites. Every summer, they are making new friends, stepping out of their comfort zone, and learning how to become a team member. Their dad and I see so much more confidence and independence in them.”
Suzette, YMCA Health & Fitness family member
“I wanted my kids to learn how to swim, but my husband was worried about the membership costs. I heard the Y provided financial assistance. It’s been 20 years…
"Because it’s so family-oriented, it’s become a second home to us. We began going so often, that the staff would notice when we weren’t there. I love having a place to bring my kids where I can also work out. I began taking Arriba classes and I loved it so much that I became a volunteer instructor. I would have never done that if it weren’t for the support of the staff. I found confidence in myself that I never knew was there.”
Donate Now
Too many of our neighbours are struggling to get by. Child poverty is at record levels. Thousands of people are being left on the sidelines.
You can change that. Donate to our financial assistance program today to break down the financial barriers that keep children, youth, and families from reaching their full potential.
