Volunteer Appreciation Week at Yorktown Family Services

At Yorktown Family Services, volunteers play a vital role in helping us deliver on our mission to support and strengthen the well-being of women, children, youth, and families across our communities. Their generosity, compassion, and dedication are deeply woven into the fabric of our work, and Volunteer Appreciation Week offers us an opportunity to reflect on the impact they continue to make.

Each year, we present the Spirit of Giving Award to an exceptional individual who exemplifies the true meaning of volunteerism. This award honours a volunteer, advocate, or contributor who demonstrates an extraordinary level of commitment and reliability and reflects Yorktown’s core values and vision. Recipients are champions of our work, individuals who go above and beyond to support our programs and community.

To celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Week, we are proud to highlight three past recipients of the Spirit of Giving Award. Their stories are a powerful reminder of the impact that dedicated volunteers can make, and we are deeply grateful for their ongoing support.

2023/2024 Spirit of Giving Award: James and Funnel Cake Dream

Every Summer for the past six years our Violence Against Women Services shelter site has been celebrating an Annual Summer Fun Day, a full-day event with delicious food, fun games, and interactive activities for the women and children staying at our shelter. The event features a dress-up booth, face painting, water games, and the always highly anticipated — bouncy castle!

The event’s success reached new heights thanks to the generosity of community member James McFarlane from “Funnel Cake Dream”. For the past three years, James has donated his services and treated shelter clients to a delectable array of funnel cakes for free. James feels that the delight on the faces of adults and children as they experience their chosen treats is truly priceless! The children especially enjoyed the treat, exclaiming that “My belly is very happy” and “Best funnel cake ever!”

James shared that as a child he stayed at a shelter with his mom. “James experienced marginalization at a young age and could have chosen to forget. Instead, he is committed to giving back by bringing a delightful experience to the women and children staying at our shelter. We’re very grateful to James for bringing so much joy to our residents!” shares Gabbey Dessye, Director of Violence Against Women Services. Gabbey nominated James for the 2023/2024 Spirit of Giving Award after being thoroughly impressed with his generosity and humble spirit.

Congratulations to James and Funnel Cake Dream on receiving the Spirit of Giving Award for 2023/24. We look forward to Summer Fun Day 2025!

2022/2023 Spirit of Giving Award: Jessica Weiss

The 2022/2023 award was presented to Jessica Weiss, who supports Yorktown’s Growing With Grief program. Jessica had three years of experience volunteering with the Dr. Jay Children’s Grief Centre from 2018 until its closure and continued her volunteerism at Yorktown when the program transferred over in 2021 and became known as “Growing With Grief”.

Jessica volunteers for the ‘Littles’ Bereavement Support Group for ages 6 to 9 as well as “Children’s Fun Night”. Many of our grief programs take place in the outdoors, and Jess is committed to showing up, rain or shine. 

Jessica’s focus is always on the young people she is supporting; she effectively engages with children and youth, supports the group culture by building connections with and between group members, and assists in making activities accessible so that all clients can participate.  

Danielle Courneya, Intake Coordinator and Grief Counsellor, and Paul Kitz, Grief Program Facilitator, co-nominated Jessica for the award. Danielle and Paul share the opinion that Jessica is a great asset to the program, acknowledging that taking a group of young children outdoors is no small feat. “We are put at ease knowing that we have an extra pair of attentive eyes and compassionate ears in Jessica. We know that the members of our group are safe and cared for.”

Congratulations to Jessica Weiss on receiving the Spirit of Giving Award for 2022/23. We are so appreciative to have such a dedicated and loyal volunteer!

2021/2022 Spirit of Giving Award: Beryl Campeau-Larose

We were thrilled to congratulate Beryl Campeau-Larose, the 2021/2022 recipient of the Spirit of Giving Award! Beryl is a four-year veteran volunteer with our Bingo Volunteer Program.

Yorktown Family Services is a member of Dolphin Gaming Centre’s Bingo fundraising program, a fundraising initiative under the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association (OCGA) in partnership with the City of Toronto. With the support of volunteers like Beryl, Bingo brings in thousands of dollars each month so Yorktown can continue to provide mental health and social service programs for children, youth, young adults, and families, free of charge.

In 2021/22, a total of $70,593 was raised for rent for program spaces, program materials, equipment and technology upgrades, translation services, website maintenance, social media/communications costs that enable Yorktown to remain accessible to clients in a digital age, and so much more.

The Bingo program was on pause during the pandemic, resuming in the Fall of 2021. Beryl returned with her usual enthusiasm, remaining loyal in her support of Yorktown. She has also taken a leadership role in recruiting, training, and guiding new Yorktown bingo volunteers.

“Beryl is excellent in her role,” says Catarina Rodrigues, Yorktown’s volunteer Coordinator. “Her cheerful and friendly disposition makes her a joy to work with. Beryl demonstrates a high standard of professionalism in her role. We are grateful to have her on the Yorktown team!”

Thank you, Beryl, for your dedication and ambassadorship for Yorktown. Your commitment is making a difference in communities across Toronto!

We are sincerely grateful for all of our volunteers, past and present, and we look forward to continuing to honour their contributions.

Interested in supporting Yorktown Family Services and becoming a volunteer? Click here to learn more or connect with us!