Learning Life skills through sports at the Y

Ellie was adopted at a young age by her great-grandmother, Marg Claus. Although the family lives on Marg’s small pension, Marg wants Ellie to have a fulfilling childhood. As part of the First Nation people, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Marg also knows the importance of giving Ellie a good education and preparing her to better connect with other kids at school.

Marg turned to her local YMCA of Central East Ontario to help Ellie build a healthy and positive social life. Thanks to the funds raised by the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign, YMCA of Central East Ontario was able to offer Ellie a subsidized membership for her to join the children’s fitness and recreation programs.

Ellie is now seven years old and looks forward to playing with other kids at her Y. She is making friends, developing her social skills and staying healthy, learning to swim, and playing team sports in a nurturing environment.

“We couldn’t have afforded all these wonderful activities for Ellie without the Y,” said Marg. “I am so happy to see Ellie blossoming every day. Everything she has learned at the Y will help her do well at school and make lots of friends.”

Ellie is one of the more than 736 children in Belleville and nearly 600 in Quinte West who learned life skills and found a caring community at the YMCA. Unemployment has hit some families hard in the community that the YMCA of Central East Ontario serves. Thanks to the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign, many families experiencing temporary or longer-term financial challenges can still access YMCA programs to realize their children’s full potential.