News
SALON DE L’IMMIGRATION
On Friday and Saturday, May 18th and 19th, the YWCA will hold the stand # 1903 at the Salon de l’immigration which will take place at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
Come and learn more about ours programs and services, and enter our contest to win a beautiful gift basket. Free Entry.
Information :
Josiane Sauvé
514.866.9941, ext. 255 or jsauve@ydesfemmesmtl.org
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YWCA MONTREAL IN HONDURAS
On Tuesday, April 24th, two YWCA employees presented a summary of the week they spent in Central America in March to help the YWCA Honduras staff by giving training workshops on different topics such as recruiting volunteers and violence against women.
This week filled with emotions and learning experiences has showed the extreme lack of resources of the organization and of the Honduran women, and the constant insecurity prevailing in the country since the coup of 2009.
The YWCA wants to help the YWCA Honduras through a fundraiser in 2012.
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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
This year, the YWCA made INSPIRATION our theme for celebrating International Women’s Day!
Throughout our lives, women have supported us, educated us, protected us, made us think, guided and inspired us; transforming our lives by their actions or positively changing our outlook on life… Just as many women throughout the ages have become our role models as they fought for human rights, protected the poor, raised their voices, broke down barriers, dared to do what was forbidden and accomplished the impossible; today there are many women who touch our lives with a unique source of inspiration and deserve to be publicly honoured!
To celebrate March 8th, the YWCA invited the public to tell us about an inspiring woman…
Whether it’s your mother, sister, friend or colleague or an activist, writer, politician or philosopher… from Monday, March 5th to Thursday March 8th, the YWCA invited you to:
- Change your Facebook profile picture to that of a woman who has inspired you and explain how in a few words ;
- Come to the YWCA to put her picture and your message directly on the "inspiration mural" installed on the main floor.
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EXHIBITION OF “URBAN LIFE STORIES” 
On March 8th, th public was invited to attend the launch of “Urban Life Stories”, an art exhibition combined with written narratives, created by 12 women who have experienced issues related to homelessness and wish to share their inspiring images and stories.
The exhibition was installed on the YWCA
main floor and will be accessible to the public
at least until 2013! You can also view the exhibition in the foyer of the Maison de la culture Frontenac until April, 22nd !
Thanks to all for your participation!
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YWCA MONTREAL CELEBRATES ITS 137th BIRTHDAY 
On Februray 23rd, the YWCA Montreal celebrated its 137th birthday with an activity called “The YWCA Green Tea”. Following the English tradition of YWCAs at the end of the 19th century, we dusted off our original silver tea set and rallied the employees around our sustainable development projects... thus the “green” tea!
Sensitive to the real needs and concerns of today’s women and girls, the YWCA has prioritized the issue of sustainable development at a time when women’s health and the state of the environment are more than ever linked.
To this end, Rachel Horwat, Environmental Counsellor, had the opportunity to talk about OrganisACTION, a project currently in progress which aims to share the environmental experience gained by the YWCA with other non-profit women’s organisations in Montreal.
Finally, the employees got a chance to look at our historical scrapbooks, the oldest of which dates back to 1892!
It was an emotional afternoon highlighted by 137 years of women’s history and solidarity!
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THE ROSE CAMPAIGN
December 6 is Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. The date is etched in history by the shooting deaths of 14 women in 1989 in Montreal by a man deliberately targeting women on a busy campus. The Rose Campaign is a national advocacy campaign to end violence against women and girls.
What you can do to Take Action on
Violence Against Women:
- Add a twibbon to your Facebook et Twitter profiles
- Go to www.rosecampaign.ca and send an email to your MP
- Speak up about violence in your community
- More...
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INFORMATION SESSION ON THE
NEW MUHC 
SUPER HOSPITAL
On November 22nd, from 7:30 pm to 21:00 pm, the YWCA Montreal and the YMCAs of Québec in collaboration with the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) present:
THE NEW MUHC: A NEW VISION OF HEALTH CARE
• World class facilities
• 100% single-patient rooms
• The latest equipment and technology
• Care built around the needs of patients
Learn about the new healthcare environment for the generations of today and tomorrow!
Host:
Mutsumi Takahashi, CTV News Anchor and co-chair of The Best Care for Life, public phase
Special guests:
- Julie Quenneville, Director of Development at the McGill University Health Centre
- A representative from The Best Care for Life Campaign
RSVP: 514 866-9941, ext. 281 or jsauve@ydesfemmesmtl.org.
Space is limited.
The event will be held at:
Holden Fisher Hall, YWCA Montreal
1355, René- Lévesque Blvd West, Montreal
Metro Lucien-L’Allier or Peel
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A NEW TEAM TAKES THE HELM AT THE YWCA!
The YWCA is proud to announce its new management team with the appointment of Ms. Hélène Lépine as ceo/executive director, Ms. Chantal Laberge as president of the Board of Directors of the YWCA and Ms. Anne Mezei as president of the Board of Directors of the Women’s Y Foundation.
Click here to read the communiqué
Click here to view the 2010-2011 YWCA Annual Report!
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WEEK WITHOUT VIOLENCE
From October 17th to 23rd, the YWCA Montreal has joined the citizens of more than 90 countries to mark the YWCA Week Without Violence.
As part of this week of community activities which promote a world without violence, several internal activities have been held such as the exchange of "small acts of kindness" between employees and the presentation of an "award" to the employee who has been the most thoughtful during this week.
Beginning Monday, October 17th, the YWCA has circulated the image of a white rose in its virtual network so that members could use this image as their profile picture to promote a world without violence.
On Tuesday, October 18th, Ms. Annie Robert, RCMP Coordinator, hosted a workshop on human trafficking.
Finally, a flash mob was planned for the beginning of the week…
To view the video, click here
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QUEBEC-CAMEROON EXCHANGE PROGRAM: FOLLOW UP
Did you know that YWCA hosted four women from Cameroon (Marie-Madeleine Kepatou, Rosette Yvette Ngankou, Elise Ngonsu, Florence Ernest) during a two week visit from June 7 to 22? The aim of this exchange program between YWCA Montreal and YWCA Cameroon was to share best practices on issues of social and economic development.
For almost ten years, our organization has been paired with YWCA Cameroon through YWCA Canada. In 2002, Claudette Demers Godley, former executive director of the YWCA Montreal, visited the YWCA Cameroon to better understand their programs, their successes and their challenges. Since then, we have continued to learn about each other’s intervention approaches and the issues related to our common social commitment. For over a year, the YWCA International Committee has been preparing for the arrival of the President of the YWCA Cameroon and three of her colleagues.
During their time in Montreal, they participated in various workshops, trainings and professional exchanges created specifically for them which explored several themes such as:
- Advocacy for women’s and children’s rights;
- Literacy and strengthening of parental capacities;
- Prevention of HIV/AIDS transmission;
- Women’s mental health and well-being;
- Leadership development for women and girls, etc.
The visit has been an unforgettable experience for them as well as for us. Their energy, along with a determination to learn and understand our working methods, allowed them to integrate the YWCA’s tools and practices as well as those of our partner organ- izations – namely, Action des femmes handicapées, GAP-VIES, Solidarité Sawa, Mouvement contre le viol et l’inceste, etc. – which they will share with their community on their return.
To make their stay even more enjoyable, we added some cultural and leisure activities to their very busy agendas. We accompanied them to the Biodôme, to Jean-Talon Market, to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Science Museum, to the Francofolies and on numerous walks in Montreal’s parks and neighbourhoods.
Before they returned home, a festive evening was held in their honour on June 17th at the YWCA, filled with the colours and flavours of Cameroon. On the program: a night of dancing, celebrating and tasty Cameroonian cuisine! In addition, a silent auction of handmade crafts raised $300 which will help pay for their trip!
For more information call 514.866.9941, poste 232
