YWCA raises record amount at gala auction

By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on December 5, 2024.

YWCA Lethbridge has been serving the Lethbridge community for 75 years and has made it their mission to the enhancement of women’s lives by providing programs and services to empower them, support equality and promote wellness in mind, body and spirit.
On Tuesday, many community members gathered to celebrate the organization and support the work they do through both a silent and live auction.
Jill Young, chief executive officer of YWCA Lethbridge, says it was a privilege to work with the presenting sponsor Grassroots Realty Group, and it was through their collaboration the event was so successful.
“As a nonprofit organization we generally are limited with our resources and our staffing. Grassroots Realty as our presenting sponsor just wraps around us with support,” said Young.
Ally Keith, co-chair of the Royal Gala committee for the YWCA, as well as a Realtor for Grassroots, says she understands how the home should be a safe place and the work the YWCA does is so important to those who don’t have that.
“We come from an industry where your home should be your safe space and we believe what that means for families and especially for women and children in our community at the very least they deserve the safety and security that we often take for granted,” said Kieth.
During her speech Young dropped some sobering statistics about domestic violence including: one in three women in Canada will experience some form of gender-based violence in their lifetime, with Alberta having some of the highest rates in the country.
Lethbridge also sees a disproportionate share of these cases.
Harbour House, which is an emergency shelter for women and children seeking refuge in Lethbridg,e has operated near capacity every single night this year.
This is just one of the many programs for which the event raised money.
Before the sold-out event even started, they were halfway to their goal of $150,000 and at the conclusion of the event it raised a record of over $160,000.
During the event Young announced the YWCA would be launching a brand-new program in April 2025 called Harbour House Hope.
This program would work alongside the Harbour House to provide a transitional housing as the Harbour House only provides short-term relief-about 21 to 30 days.
Young says they couldn’t be more excited to launch this program to help shape peoples futures.
“YWCA Hope will be more than just a place to live. It will be a place where futures are rebuilt, where healing happens and where dreams are reignited,” said Young.
The project was made possible from a grant provided from the City of Lethbridge.
Young says the spirit of giving was certainly felt throughout the event on Giving Tuesday and she couldn’t be happier with the turnout.
“We have hit records, we have sold out, the room is full, the event is just buzzing with so much excitement. It has been an incredible evening,” said Young.
More information on programs from the YWCA can be found at https://ywcalethbridge.com/

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