Blog Posts Archive - Page 2 of 11 - Yorktown Family Services

November 7, 2025

Yorktown Family Services 2024-2025 Community Partnership Awards

At Yorktown Family Services, we know that healing, safety, and support don’t happen in isolation — they’re made possible through the strength of our community. Each year, we proudly recognize outstanding partners whose generosity, innovation, and compassion help extend our reach and deepen our impact. Our 2024/25 Community Partnership Awards honour four incredible collaborators who have gone above and beyond in service of children, youth, and families. Whether through trauma-informed programming, meaningful memorials, access to healthcare, or restoring dignity through clothing, these partnerships represent what’s possible when we come together for a shared purpose. The Redwood Hub-on-Wheels Team The Redwood […]

November 6, 2025

Guided by Our North Star: Yorktown Family Services 2024-2025 AGM and Recognition Night

On October 30, 2025, Yorktown Family Services hosted its 30th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Recognition Night at the West Toronto Youth Wellness Hub. The event brought together staff, board members, funders, community partners, and award recipients for an evening of reflection, gratitude, and inspiration. This year’s theme, Guided by Our North Star, reflects that at the heart of everything we do are our clients—children, youth, women, and families. They are the North Star that guides Yorktown Family Services. From April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, our work was defined by purpose, innovation, and connection. As CEO Suzette Arruda-Santos reflected, “Our […]

October 31, 2025

Growing With Grief: Healing Together Through Connection and Creativity

November is Grief Awareness Month — a time to recognize that grief affects all of us, especially children. For many children and families, grief can feel like uncharted territory — unpredictable, isolating, and impossible to navigate alone. At Yorktown Family Services, we believe grief should never be faced alone. Our Growing With Grief program creates safe, caring spaces for children, youth, and caregivers to share their stories, honour their loved ones, and begin healing — together. Through individual therapy, age-specific groups, and family events, Yorktown’s Growing With Grief (GWG) program helps participants process loss, normalize grief, and build resiliency. Using […]

September 26, 2025

Yorktown's Truth and Reconciliation Committee

Learning, Listening, and Showing Up: Yorktown’s Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

At Yorktown Family Services, we believe that reconciliation starts with listening, learning, and showing up. That’s why our Truth and Reconciliation (T&R) Committee is working year-round to help our agency grow in its understanding of Indigenous history, culture, and community, and take action that truly makes a difference. Each year, we recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) on September 30. It’s a day to honour the children who never came home from residential schools, support survivors and their families, and commit to learning the truth of Canada’s history. But at Yorktown, this work doesn’t stop when the day […]

September 4, 2025

Yorktown Expands Free Mental Health Walk-In Services for Youth with New Downtown Toronto Location

Yorktown Family Services is excited to announce that we’ve opened a new walk-in mental health clinic in St. James Town, offering free, same-day counselling to youth and young adults aged 0 to 29 years old. Located in one of Toronto’s most densely populated and diverse neighbourhood, the clinic provides rapid access to support for youth facing anxiety, depression, stress, grief, family issues, and more. The clinic is hosted at The Corner, a dynamic hub for health and social services in St. James Town. Operated in partnership with local service providers and residents, The Corner is a trusted space that responds […]

September 3, 2025

Shoppers Drug Mart Associates Raise $50,600 to Support Women and Children Through the Giving Shelter Campaign

Every fall, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™ runs the Giving Shelter campaign — a national fundraising initiative that supports Violence Against Women (VAW) agencies across Canada. The campaign not only raises essential funds but also builds awareness about the realities of gender-based violence and the urgent need for safe housing, counselling, and prevention programs for women and children. During the 2024 campaign, more than 20 Shoppers Drug Mart stores chose Yorktown Family Services as their beneficiary. Thanks to the generosity of their Associates, employees and customers, these stores raised a record-breaking $50,600 to support Yorktown’s Violence Against Women Shelter, Make Home Safe programs, and community-based […]

July 22, 2025

Yorktown Joins Global Dialogue on Reintegration and Psychosocial Supports at Strong Cities Network Summit in Morocco

Yorktown Family Services was honoured to participate in the Strong Cities Network Global Summit in Morocco in June 2025, in collaboration with the Kingdom of Morocco and the European Union. This international summit brought together practitioners, community leaders, and policymakers from Canada, Africa and the EU to share strategies for building community resilience, preventing extremism, and supporting the reintegration of individuals returning from conflict zones — with a strong emphasis on psychosocial support and trauma-informed care. David O’Brien, Director at Yorktown Family Services, was invited to speak on a panel about trauma-informed reintegration strategies and the importance of cross-sector collaboration. […]

June 17, 2025

Yorktown Gender Based Violence programs launches groundbreaking program

Yorktown Launches Groundbreaking Digital Program to Prevent Gender-Based Violence Across Ontario

**Update: The program name was updated from ASSIST to RightPlace in September of 2025.** Yorktown Family Services is proud to announce the launch of RightPlace, a bold, interdisciplinary initiative that aims to prevent gender-based violence and support survivors by connecting Ontarians to real-time care—online and in their communities. On April 25, 2025, Yorktown welcomed the Honourable Charmaine Williams, Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity, and MPP Michelle Cooper to officially announce this project and the government’s $1,055,800 investment in its delivery. This new funding, part of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services’ (MCCSS) broader $98 million […]

April 28, 2025

Yorktown Family Services Volunteer Appreciation Week

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 […]

March 4, 2025

Yorktown Family Services Community Partnership Awards

We’re celebrating the incredible community partners who made a difference at Yorktown Family Services during our 2023/2024 year! From RPIA’s generous donation to CAMH/YWHO’s advocacy and the Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health’s fundraising efforts, these partnerships are helping to strengthen mental health support and violence prevention in our community. Keep reading to learn more about our incredible community partners. RP Investment Advisors (RPIA) RPIA’s charitable mission is to: Facilitate charitable giving within our organization and the broader community by working collaboratively with our clients, employees, and community partners. We aim to make a meaningful difference contributing to the betterment of […]