The smallest act of kindness can mean everything.
After a heart attack, Deborah’s house learned her silence. Mornings stretched endlessly. She memorized the hum of the fridge and the pattern of the wallpaper. Friends said, “Take it slow.” But slow to Deborah, felt like standing still.
Pictured Deborah and Dorothea
Watch video: Dorothea and Deborah talk about how the Y has helped them
One cold morning, Deborah tied her shoes and walked to the YMCA health and fitness program—not because she felt strong, but because she couldn’t stay where she was.
“I remember the first ten steps through the door: the smell of coffee, the squeak of sneakers. In that warm room, a woman in a bright red Y shirt waved me over and offered an invitation I’ll never forget – Come sit with us.”
We talked more than we exercised that day. Someone laughed at a joke I barely finished. Someone else wiped a tear and squeezed my hand. When I hesitated about coming back, I heard: “If tomorrow is hard, just come for coffee. We’ll be here.”
Not only did Deborah come back— she started laying out her shoes at night like a promise. She learned names. People learned hers. If she missed a day, someone called. If someone else missed, she called them. Little routines turned into loyalty. Deborah became a healthier version of herself.
“The Y didn’t just help my heart heal; it gave me a reason to get up, show up, and reach out to help someone else. My mother, Dorothea, found the same welcome after her stroke. “If you’re not here, they worry,” she says. Together, we help make simple lunches for others—mismatched mugs, soup in a slow cooker, stories that take their time. There is always another chair.”
Deborah learned her story isn’t uncommon: 41% of Canadians aged 50+ are at risk of isolation, and up to 58% report loneliness. Every time we pull out one more chair, a statistic becomes a somebody.
Six in Ten Canadians Surveyed Have Little or No Sense of Community, New YMCA Research Reveals
The Y offers the perfect solution for so many of our aging population to experience joy, regardless of their ability to pay.
Everyone deserves that. Everyone deserves the chance to shine. But many neighbours feel they can’t reach this support because of cost, illness, limited resources, discrimination, mental health challenges, or isolation. The YMCA works to remove those barriers—and donor support makes it possible.
Gifts support the Y’s ability to provide financial assistance and programs that open the door to community for people of all ages.
What began as recovery became belonging for Deborah and her Mom. They found their heart family at the Y by showing up, hosting simple lunches, creating moments that matter. They arrived after life-changing health events; years later, they’re still tying up their shoes, and heading to their local Y.
First supported, now supporting. That’s what it means to Shine On at the Y.
Together, we can be reason the next person walks through that door and welcomed with a warm invitation to “Come sit with us.”